Finding The Way Back
by NaleyNaley2312
Summary: AU. Nathan and Haley broke up during their sophomore year of college. What happens when their paths cross again a few years later? Will the spark still be there?
1. Chapter 1

**Another idea that I came up with, we'll see where it goes. It basically follows most of the events that happened in high school, except Naley didn't get married and Haley didn't meet Chris or go on tour. After high school, Nathan and Haley went to separate colleges and eventually grew apart. Lucas and Nathan still talk, Haley and Peyton still talk, and Brooke still talks to all of them. Nathan is the point guard for the New York Knicks, Lucas is a writer, Brooke owns Clothes over Bros, Peyton owns Red Bedroom Records, and Haley is a singer that is signed with Red Bedroom. Just wanted to give a little background. I'll probably have another update to this story up pretty quick because I already know what I'm going to do for the next chapter.**

 **Chapter 1**

"Clay, this suit is so uncomfortable." Nathan grumbled, glancing over at his agent and bestfriend, shaking his head. He rubbed his fingers along the collar of his dark suit, sighing softly.

"Oh come on, buddy. You look great. Brooke Davis has natural talent. How would she feel if she heard you bagging on her suit? And Kylie looks great on your arm. Where is she, by the way?" Clay asked him, smirking slightly.

"I think she went to powder her nose or something." Nathan replied, shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head. He really didn't care that much.

"Do you mind if I take her home with me once the night is over? She might look good on your arm tonight, but she'd look way better in my bed." Clay laughed, winking at him, nudging him with his elbow softly.

"Be my guest, man. We're only here together because of the Rainstorm Body Spray." Nathan said, sighing and posing for a picture next to Clay. "I mean, assuming she'd want to go home with a bozo like you." He whispered to Clay, still smiling at the camera.

"I've got game, Nate. It doesn't hurt that my best friend is in the NBA either." Clay replied, smiling at the camera. "What are you auctioning off tonight, anyways?" He asked, humming slightly.

"Oh, you know. Signed jerseys, some basketballs. A few other things. Season tickets. The usual stuff. Merchandise, posters. Anything people want." Nathan shrugged, glancing at this friend.

"Brooke told me that she's auctioning off a date with you. Lucas told me he's also auctioning off a date with you. So maybe you'll meet the one tonight." Clay chuckled, guiding Nathan over to his table.

"Yeah, well I'm going to auction off a date with Lucas." Nathan grumbled, shaking his head.

"Oh smart, too bad he's engaged to Lindsey, huh?" Clay laughed, nudging Nathan and taking a seat next to him.

"Yeah, whatever. I like to see his head explode when he gets put into uncomfortable situations. It's not like anyone would buy it." Nathan replied, looking around. "Where is he anyways?"

"He's your brother, Nathan. You tell me." Clay said, looking around. "You should worry more about where your date is. She's been gone for awhile. What is this, the third girl that's snuck out the window?" He joked.

"That only happens to you, Clay." Nathan responded, shaking his head and looking down at the white table cloth, tugging on his tie softly.

"It was one time, Nathan. And that's because you told her that I had a STD. So it was your fault." Clay grumbled, rolling his eyes.

"Dude, she was giving you the crazy eyes. She talked about what your kids were going to look like within the first five minutes. I save you there, buddy." Nathan said, patting his shoulder. "Look, I'm going to go see if I can find either Lucas or Kylie. I'll be back. Don't order food without me. Or bring any girls to our table. Bring a date next time, I told you that you could." He grumbled.

"Yeah, but I was hoping to go home with your date so I thought that would be a little awkward." Clay shrugged, smiling at him.

Nathan rolled his eyes, "Whatever, Clay. Whatever." He laughed, shaking his head.

Nathan walked around for a little while, pausing to take pictures with different people. After five minutes of walking around, he spotted Kylie talking with a bunch of girls. He walked up to her, clearing his throat.

Kylie turned to look at him, "Hey you." She smiled, resting her hand on his chest.

"Uh, hey. I was just coming to check on you to make sure you were doing alright." He replied, looking down at her hand.

"I'm doing great. I'll find you in a little bit. I'm almost finished up." Kylie smiled at him, nodding.

Nathan nodded slowly, walking away and rolling his eyes. Honestly, he didn't really care for her much. She was an alright girl, but a little crazy, even for him. He headed back to the table him and Clay had been seated at, shaking his head when he saw a girl seated in his seat, with her back towards him. But just from the back of her, Nathan could tell she must be beautiful, so he was willing to give up his seat to her for the time being. Nathan sat in Lucas' seat at the table, looking up. He nearly fell out of his chair when he made eye contact with the familiar brown eyes that made his heart melt.

"Haley James?" Nathan asked in disbelief, looking at her with wide eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Finding The Way Back**

 **I told you it would be fast, sorry these first two are kind of short!**

 **Chapter 2**

Haley let out a deep breath, fixing her lipstick in the bathroom, she looked the mirror, shaking her head and adjusting the dress that Brooke had forced her to wear. She sighed heavily, looking up again when a blonde girl walked into the bathroom. She was very familiar, but she couldn't quite put her finger on where she'd seen her.

"Haley James?" The woman asked, causing Haley to look over at her and smile.

"Hi, how are you?" Haley asked, nodding at her.

"I'm doing great, thank you. This is the first charity event I've been to." She informed her, smiling.

"Oh, they're easy. Don't worry. These run really smoothly, especially when Brooke Davis is running it." Haley laughed, shrugging her shoulders.

"I didn't know Brooke Davis was in charge of this." The woman admitted, sighing softly.

"Yeah. She does it for kids who are in need of help. Whether they be orphans, or foster kids, anyone. The money all gets donated to specific causes. She does about two of these a year. This is the first one in New York, though. So that's exciting." Haley smiled, nodding.

"I can't wait to see how everything goes. I'm Kylie, by the way. I love your music." Kylie said, nodding at her.

"Haley." Haley replied, smiling brightly. "And thank you so much. But my date is waiting outside for me. I hope to see you later. Are you auctioning stuff off?" She asked.

Kylie shook her head, "No. But my date is though. I hope to see you again." She said, smiling at her.

Haley nodded in agreement, before hurrying out of the bathroom, nearly running into Chris Keller.

"Chris, were you about to go in there?" She laughed, raising her eyebrows.

"You were taking so long, Haley. I had to make sure you were alright." Chris laughed, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"How nice of you." She said, shaking her head. "It didn't have anything to do with the beautiful blonde that just walked in there?" She asked him, nudging his side.

"What? I'm offended that you would ask me that." He replied, pulling her closer to him.

"She's got an accent too. Too bad she has a date so you're missing out on that one. Sorry, buddy." Haley teased, patting the side of Chris's face.

"Haley, I don't need a different girl. I have you on my arm, and that's all I need." Chris laughed, winking at her.

"Flattery gets you nowhere with me, you should know that by now." Haley reminded him, posing for a picture with him when someone walked around with a camera.

"Chris Keller begs to differ, Haley James. But it's alright. You can have your opinion and I can have mine." Chris said, smiling.

Peyton walked up to them shortly after, nodding. "Damn, Haley James. You look hot." She laughed, winking at her.

"You don't look so bad yourself, Sawyer." Haley grinned at her, hugging her tightly.

Chris cleared his throat, causing both girls to look at him. He gestured down to himself, nodding.

"Chris, you look..." Peyton trailed off, looking over at Haley, shrugging slightly.

"I think choosing a red suit wasn't the right idea." Haley said to him, nodding.

"But you told me you were wearing red. I wanted to match you." Chris informed her, shrugging slightly.

"Yeah, but you could of worn a different color suit with a red tie and complimented me nicely. Anyways, I told you I was thinking about wearing red, but I chose black instead." She laughed, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, it's a bit flashy." Peyton agreed, shrugging her shoulders and nodding.

"It looks classy, Peyton. You don't know anything." Chris grumbled, shaking his head.

Peyton pointed to a blonde haired man in a tux that rushed past them, "No, no. That's classy. All black with the bow tie. Nice." She shrugged her shoulders.

"The back of his head looks familiar." Haley frowned, watching him to see if he would turn around.

"Haley, everyone looks familiar here." Peyton reminded her, shaking her head. "Look, I'm going to go find our table. Let me know if you see Brooke anywhere, please." She hummed, hurrying away.

"I think Chris Keller is going to accompany her. You coming?" He asked, looking at Haley.

Haley shook her head, "No, I think I'm just going to go try to find Brooke. I'll see you in a little bit though." She said, smiling and walking away.

After looking around for a second, Haley looked over her shoulder when she thought she heard someone calling her name, running straight into Clay's chair.

"Woah! Uh, hey." Clay said, looking up at her and raising his eyebrows.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, I thought someone was looking for me and I wasn't watching where I was going. I'm sorry." Haley said quickly, looking down at him.

Clay looked up at her for a second, before pulling out Nathan's chair a bit. "You can make it up to me by sitting and talking for a bit." He said, smirking.

Haley looked down at him, raising her eyebrows and hesitating. After a moment, she shrugged her shoulders and took a seat next to him, crossing her legs.

"I'm sorry for bumping into you. I really need to watch where I'm going more often." She laughed, shaking her head and sighing.

"Hey, you call it someone yelling your name. I call it fate." Clay said, smirking slightly and shrugging his shoulders. "Are you here with anyone?" He asked.

"Eh, kind of." Haley shrugged, glancing over to see if she could find Chris. "What about you?" She asked, scooting a bit closer to him.

"I guess you could say that. I'm here with my best friend. He's pretty good friends with Brooke Davis, actually. So I'm sure I could get you something nice. Maybe something that's not even for sale yet." He replied, winking at her.

"Oh?" Haley said, nearly bursting into laughter at that comment. "Well, I was just looking to see if I could find her. Maybe you can join my search and talk to her about it?" She suggested, raising her eyebrows.

"You'd have to let me take you out before I buy you the whole Clothes over Bros collection. Wouldn't buying you clothes before the first date mean that you are indeed choosing clothes over bros?" He asked her, smiling slightly.

"I typically do choose clothes over bros, but maybe I could make an exception." She said, winking at him.

"Damn." Clay said, nodding his head slowly.

Haley opened her mouth to reply, when someone new sat down at the table. She blinked in surprise when her brown eyes met his amazingly beautiful blue ones, unable to tear her's away.

"Haley James?" Nathan asked her, his eyes wide.


	3. Chapter 3

**Just so everyone knows, this is a mainly a Naley story! There were a few people that were worried about Clay and Haley, and I just wanted to let everyone know that they will not be dating at all in this story.**

 **Chapter 3**

"Haley James?" Clay asked, looking at her, then at Nathan. "Well, I didn't even recognize you. Man, I'm sorry." He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck and glancing over at Nathan.

Nathan ignored everything Clay was saying, his eyes locked on Haley. She looked so different from the last time he saw her, but she was still drop dead gorgeous. And she looked amazing in that dress. He could feel his heart rate picking up just from the sight of her. He knew that he should probably say something before Clay got super uncomfortable, but he couldn't find the words to say, all he could do was keep his eyes on her. But damn, did she look good. The black dress fit her in all of the right places, and her hair was up in a neat bun. She looked so amazing.

Haley looked at Nathan with surprised eyes. When she had sat down next to the strange, yet kind of charming man... This was the last thing she expected to happen. All of Clay's flirty phrases had been long forgotten as soon as her and Nathan had made eye contact. She felt like he was literally reading his thoughts, and that made her nervous. It had been awhile since they'd seen each other, since they'd spoken to each other. He looked good, really good. His hair was neatly styled, his face clean shaven, and his his suit was fitted nicely. After a minute of silence, Haley finally stood up.

"Well, I better get going." She said softly, looking down at Clay and smiling. "It was nice meeting you." She said, rubbing his shoulder softly, before looking up at Nathan. "It was nice seeing you again, Nathan." Haley said, nodding her head at him, before walking away, glancing over her shoulder.

"I didn't even recognize her. I feel so dumb. Dude, I would not of been hitting on her if I knew that was Haley James." Clay laughed, shaking his head.

"We've been broken up for four years, Clay. She's fair game." Nathan mumbled, looking around and letting out a small sigh.

"Yeah, but bro code. All feelings disappeared when I realized who she was. Where's your girl at, anyways?" Clay asked, looking around for Kylie.

"Don't call her that, Clay. I don't even like her very much. She gets on my nerves." Nathan grumbled, sighing softly.

"You don't like any girl very much. Every single one of them gets on your nerves. The last girl you dated was Carrie... And she was just..." Clay trailed off, searching for the right word.

"Psychotic, overbearing, thought if I smiled at a waitress or took a picture with anyone that was a girl I was going to leave her and sleep with them. Yeah, I know." Nathan finished, letting out a deep sigh.

"Alright everyone, I hope you enjoyed your meals. I'd like to thank you all for being here, it really means a lot to me." Brooke said from the stage, smiling out at the crowd. "So, let's get this thing started." She hummed, nodding her head.

Once the auctioning was almost finished, Brooke walked up to Nathan's table. "Hey Nate, I know Clay already told you what one of the things I'm auctioning off is, so come with me, I need you to change." She laughed, grabbing onto Nathan's arm.

Nathan looked at her, then at Lucas hesitantly, raising his eyebrows, "Brooke..." He trailed off, sighing softly.

"Just do it, Nathan. It's for charity and it's one date. I have one planned for you, if you'd like to use it." Brooke said, shaking her head.

Nathan nodded slowly, standing up and sighing. "This is going to be weird. I feel like at the boy toy auction in high school again." He laughed, before following Brooke.

"It's basically the same thing. I bought some Knicks merchandise, bought you a whole uniform, a warm up shirt, and your warm ups. So basically what I'm going to do is have people bid on you to take your clothes off. The shorts will stay on, don't worry. Unless someone offers a million dollars. And then, at the end I'm going to tell them you're up for grabs. This will really help, Nathan. Please." Brooke said, smiling at him.

Nathan let out a deep sigh, nodding his head, "Yeah, yeah. Show me to my dressing room." He grumbled, following her.

Brooke walked out a few minutes later, smirking slightly. "Alright everyone, this is the last item for the night. I really appreciate all of the support and donations that have been made today. Nathan, why don't you come on out here." She said, glancing over.

Nathan sucked in a deep breath, rolling his eyes a little bit before walking onto the stage, winking at someone.

"Okay, everyone. For Nathan to take his warm up jacket off, and you get to keep it. Let's start at 200 dollars." Brooke said, smirking at Nathan.

"500!" Someone yelled out.

"600!" Another person yelled.

"1000!" The last person said, before everything got quiet.

"Sold! Nathan, come on. Get it off. Come up here and claim your prize, lucky lady in the back." Brooke said, grinning.

Nathan chuckled quietly, removing his warm up jacket, shaking his head at the quiet 'aww's' when there was still another shirt underneath. He winked down at the girl when she hurried up to the stage, pulling out a marker from his pocket and signing it.

"Okay, for the sweats! Who wants to get these sweats off of him? Who knows, maybe you could be the one for him and be the one to take his clothes off of him for the rest of his life?" Brooke said, smirking at Nathan. "Let's start this one at 500."

"700!"

"1050!"

"1200!"

"I knew that would get them." Brooke hummed to Nathan, before turning her attention back to the crowd. "Sold! Come up here and claim your prize. He's yummy, I know. Don't worry ladies, he's still got some clothing left. If you're lucky, you may get to see what's underneath the clothes." She said, winking.

The girl rushed up as Nathan was removing his warm up pants. He signed them quickly, nodding at her and smiling.

"I love you." The girl said, smirking.

Nathan smirked back at her, "I love you too." He said, winking.

"Alright, alright. Enough you two. Let's get this warm up shirt off of you. So close to his rock hard abs and muscular chest. I've seen it all ladies, and damn does he look good." Brooke laughed, grabbing Nathan's arm. "Do something, Nathan. Stop just standing there." She hummed.

Nathan let out a small sigh, looking at her for a second, before raising up his arms and flexing his biceps.

"Woah! If that doesn't make you excited, I don't know what will. Who wants Nathan to take his warm up shirt off? I know that I do." Brooke said, squeezing Nathan's bicep. "After it's off, I'll let you squeeze is biceps!" She laughed. "Let's start at-"

She was cut off by someone yelling out "800!"

"900!"

"1500!"

"Well.. Sold to 1500! Come up here and claim your prize." Brooke began, smirking at Nathan.

Nathan rolled his eyes, pulling the gray t-shirt over his head, signing it quickly and handing it to the girl as she walked up. He laughed quietly, flexing his bicep and smirking at her as she squeezed it.

"Nice." She hummed, winking at him and licking her lips.

"Alright ladies, I promise there's not another shirt under this one. This is the real deal now. Lying underneath here is pure muscle. Give them a taste, Nathan?" Brooke laughed.

Nathan shook his head, winking. "It'll come off eventually, I'll let you see it then." He said, smirking.

"1500!"

"2000!"

"2225!"

"2500!"

"Sold!" Brooke said, when no one topped that. "Alright, Nathan. You know what to do."

Nathan smirked slightly, slowly lifting his jersey over his head, flexing his biceps once it was off.

"Turn around and show them your back muscles, because check these out." Brooke laughed, spinning her finger around.

Nathan rolled his eyes, turning around and flexing his back, chuckling quietly. He looked down at the girl once she had walked up to the stage, but before he knew it she had jumped on stage with him, and was pawing at his chest. "Uhh... Here's your jersey." He said, sighing it quickly, handing it to her.

Brooke watched the scene with wide eyes, "Um, honey. I think it's time to sit down now." She said softly, nodding at the girl.

After a few more seconds, she took the jersey from him, kissing his cheek and rushing off the stage.

"Take the shorts off too!" Clay yelled out, smirking.

"No, no. I promised him that the shorts stay on. But I do have one last surprise for you. For one night only, you could have this sexy man standing next to me all to yourself. He'll wine and dine you, and take you wherever you like. And at the end of the night, he has to give you a kiss!" Brooke said, smirking. "I took this from Whitey, can't you tell?" She laughed quietly to Nathan, shaking her head. "Let's start the bidding at 1000."

"2000!"

"2500!"

"3000!"

Before Haley even knew what she was doing, she was on her feet. "5000!" She yelled out.


	4. Chapter 4

**Finding The Way Back**

 **I do not own any of these characters.**

 **I'm really feeling this story, holy cow. I don't realize how fast it's coming along until I finish typing.**

 **Chapter 4**

What had she just done? Haley looked down at Peyton, who had her eyebrows raised, then at Chris. The whole room was silent. No one challenged her bid, and right now she was just hoping someone would. She wasn't sure how that happened. When Nathan had begun to undress, and women started throwing themselves and their money to him, something had snapped inside her. She forced herself to make eye contact with Brooke, who was smirking.

After a couple moments of silence, "Well. Sold for five thousand dollars. Not bad, Nate. Why don you come meet us back stage so you can claim your prize?" Brooke suggested, smirking slightly.

Nathan looked over at Haley, who looked like she wanted to disappear. He smirked slightly, before heading off the stage with Brooke.

"Haley, uh... What the hell was that?" Peyton asked, looking up at her.

"I don't know! They were looking at him like he was a piece of meat and I... I just panicked. Why did I do that?" Haley said, letting out a deep breath.

"Well, go. I guess you won Nathan Scott." Peyton said, beginning to laugh quietly.

"Watch it, Sawyer." Haley said, sighing softly.

"I'm hurt that you bid on someone else on our date." Chris said, shaking his head.

"This isn't a real date, Chris. And can you blame her? You're wearing a bright red suit and Nathan was wearing next to nothing." Peyton laughed.

Haley shook her head, walking back stage to meet Brooke, her heart racing in her chest. Why the hell did she bid on Nathan? He had barely entered her thoughts until this night. Well, that wasn't true but still. She let out a deep breath, watching as Nathan and Brooke talked. Of course he hadn't put his clothes back on yet. It didn't help that he was way more muscular than the last time she saw him, and he was super muscular back then. Haley forced herself to walk up to them, smiling slightly.

"Haley James. I knew I was hard to get over." Nathan said, smirking at her.

"Oh, in your dreams. It's just been awhile. I thought it would be fun to hang out." Haley said, punching his arm softly.

"I have to admit, I was thinking someone would bid higher than you. Did you see those girls?" Brooke laughed, shaking her head.

"I really hate you Brooke, just so you know." Nathan grumbled, before looking at Haley again.

"Look, I'll be right back. I have to go talk to a few people. Don't miss me too much." Brooke hummed, nodding at them before walking away.

Nathan smiled at Haley, pulling her into a quick hug. "It's good to see you, Haley. You look great." He said, nodding at her.

"Yeah! It's good to see you too." Haley said softly, sucking in a deep breath. "I didn't know that you were going to be here." She hummed, smiling up at him.

"Yeah, well I didn't know you would be here either. But I'm glad we ran into each other, even if it was because my agent was hitting on you." He chuckled, smiling down at her.

"Yeah, me too. He was acting all cool like he told me he knew Brooke Davis." She laughed.

"Poor guy didn't have a clue that Brooke Davis is one of your best friends." He laughed, smiling down at her.

"Yeah. So anyways, about this... I figured I would save you from a night with someone crazy and we could just hang out? I want to hear more about your life. The basketball world. What is the team you play for called... The Kicks?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

"The Knicks. Close though." Nathan laughed, "And thank you. I appreciate the effort to help me out. I was really getting worried. Especially after that woman came up on stage and groped me pretty much." He chuckled, shaking his head.

"Oh, that was a sight to see." Haley laughed, smiling up at him. It felt good to be talking to him again. They hadn't spoken to each other in so long, and she really had missed him. He always made her smile and laugh. Maybe they could figure out a way to become friends again. Maybe the years had mended their hearts.

"Yeah. I'm going to go change really quick, alright? Don't go anywhere." Nathan said, smiling at her.

Haley nodded her head slowly, watching him hurry off. This wouldn't be so bad. Maybe it was a good thing that she bid on him. When she first saw him, it had felt awkward and uncomfortable. But they'd been broken up for four years now, and they were adults. He had made it seem like she was an old friend. There wasn't any awkward tension when they talked to each other, but the night was still young.

Nathan looked at himself in the mirror, sucking in a deep breath. He could do this. It was Haley. The woman who literally crushed his heart, and she didn't even know it. She had thought their break up was mutual, but boy was she wrong. "It's been four years, Nathan. Get your shit together." He grumbled, smoothing out his shirt. He sucked in a deep breath, putting a smile on his face and walking back out to her.

"Geez, Nathan. Took you long enough." Brooke laughed, smiling at her friend. "I'm sorry I did that to you, buddy. I should of warned you before tonight." She said, shaking her head.

"You put just the right amount of excitement into my life, Brooke Davis. I didn't know I was worth that much." Nathan chuckled, gesturing at Haley. "I mean, five grand. I would of hung out with you for free, Hales." He laughed, winking at her.

Haley rolled her eyes, opening her mouth to respond when Kylie walked up to them, linking her arm through Nathan's.

"Hey you. I've been looking for you. I was going to bid on you, but then I thought... Why spend money when I can have you all to myself for free?" Kylie hummed, winking up at him.

Brooke rolled her eyes, fake gagging. "Hello Kylie. Have you met Haley yet?" She asked, gesturing to Haley.

"Oh! Now I remember where I know you from." Haley said, nodding at Kylie and Nathan. "Yeah, the Rainstorm Body Spray commercials." She said, shifting slightly.

"It really was a stormy night, wasn't it Nathan?" Kylie said, smirking at him.

Nathan's eyes widened slightly, shaking his head. "I'm not quite sure what you're talking about, but I remember traveling to Chicago right after filming that ad." He said softly, looking down at Kylie.

"Oh, you're no fun. Come on, handsome. Let's go get a drink." Kylie grinned, dragging him away.

"Ah- wait! Just a second." Nathan said, prying his arm away from her and hurrying back to Haley. "Um... How long will you be in town?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I leave in two days, why?" Haley asked, glancing over at Brooke.

"Oh come on, Haley James. You paid five grand for me, the least I can do is take you out and have a good time. It'll be nice to catch up. I'll pick you up at your hotel around... I don't know. Here, let me give you my number. I had to get a new one. Long story." He shrugged, nodding slowly.

Haley pulled her phone out of her purse, entering Nathan's phone number in. "Alright, well... Go have fun." She said, smiling up at him, watching as he walked back to Kylie.

"I don't know about this, Haley. Does it really seem like a good idea?" Brooke asked her, frowning slightly.

"Oh come on, Brooke. I'm over him, really. We haven't spoken in a long time. It's just two old friends catching up." Haley said, shrugging.

"Except he's Nathan, and you're you. I'm going to predict that you wake up in his bed, probably without clothes on." Brooke laughed, smirking at her.

"Brooke, come on. I'm over him, I really am. Don't read too much into it. There's nothing going on. Lucas is your ex, and you're fine with him." Haley pointed out, shaking her head.

"Completely different situation. Here's a similar one; Peyton is Lucas's ex too, and they don't talk at all." Brooke replied, crossing her arms.

"He seems pretty alright with the Rainstorm Body Spray chick." Haley shrugged, rolling her eyes.

"Kylie? Oh, honey. He doesn't care for her at all. Barely even likes her." Brooke said, shaking her head. "Why? Are you jealous?" She asked.

Haley shook her head, "Not even a little bit. I'm going to go see if I can find Lucas. It's been awhile since I've talked to him. Not as long as Nathan, of course, but awhile." She grumbled, walking off.

"Well, well. If it isn't 'Never calls back' Lucas Scott." Haley said, smiling brightly at him once she found him. Lucas turned around quickly, looking at her, "Haley!" He grinned, hurrying to her and enveloping her in a tight hug. "I'm so sorry, I've been busy. But that's no excuse." He said, holding onto her tightly.

Haley chuckled quietly, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I think it's more of both of us being busy, because in your defense I haven't called you back a lot of times too." She said softly, sucking in a deep breath. Wow, she missed him. When her and Nathan had broken up, it was almost like they had gotten divorced and were separating things out. Lucas had ended up taking Nathan's side of things, which really hurt her, but he still tried his best to check in with her every once and awhile.

"Let me introduce you to someone." Lucas said, grabbing her arm and guiding her over to Lindsey. "Lindsey, this is Haley James. Haley, this is my fiancé, Lindsey." He said, smiling brightly.

"It's nice to meet you." Haley said, smiling at Lindsey and shaking her hand.

"You too! I'm a huge fan of your music, it's amazing." Lindsey said, grinning at her.

"Oh, well thank you." Haley replied, nodding at her.

"Haley is the girl who bid five thousand dollars on my brother. Poor girl." Lucas laughed, winking at her.

"Oh come on, Nathan is sweet. I've heard that he's great in bed too- Oh, but you already knew that. Okay, I'm just going to stop talking now because I seem to have caught a case of foot in mouth." Lindsey said quickly, shaking her head.

Haley's cheeks turned slightly red, and she laughed quietly. "Oh no, it's fine. Listen, I just wanted to stop by and day hi. I'll be in town for two more days, but I'm going out with Nathan tomorrow sometime. If you're free any time. I'd love to catch up." She said, smiling up at Lucas.

Lucas nodded his head, "Yeah. Of course. That would be great." He replied, smiling at her and hugging her again.

Haley hugged him tightly, before pulling away. "I better get going. It was nice seeing you, Lucas." She hummed, heading back to her table. She laughed when she found a rather annoyed looking Peyton with a very talkative Chris Keller.

"Haley!" Peyton interrupted Chris, smiling brightly at her. "How did things go with Nathan?" She asked her, raising her eyebrows.

"Surprisingly well. We're going out tomorrow. It should be fun. Hopefully." Haley said softly, sucking in a deep breath. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready to go back to the hotel."


	5. Chapter 5

**Finding The Way Back**

 **Chapter 5**

Nathan had texted Haley at around noon, telling her that he would pick her up at 5:30. She spent most of the day hanging out with Lucas and Lindsey. Lindsey seemed like an alright girl, but her and Lucas just didn't look right together. There was no way she was going to tell him that though. He had left with the promise to come see her soon in California before she left on your next month.

Nathan knocked on her door at about 5:30, hearing her rush to the door. Haley pulled it open, smiling at him.

"Hey, Nathan. Give me just a few more minutes, I'm so sorry. Come in." She said quickly, pulling him into her hotel room.

Nathan held up the roses that Brooke had forced him to bring her, smiling slightly. "Brooke's idea. I just do what she orders." He said, taking in Haley's appearance. She was wearing a red, semi casual dress that ended at her knees. He also took notice that she was wearing heels, probably to add to her height, but they didn't appear to help much. "Take all the time you need." He said softly, nodding at her.

Haley smiled at him, taking the roses quickly, before hurrying back into the bathroom. "I'm almost done. Just have a seat. Don't look through my stuff, Nathan. I know you." She called out, touching up her make up a bit, letting out a deep breath.

As promised, she had only taken a few minutes. They were currently in the front seat of Nathan's car, and of course, in the middle of a traffic jam.

"Well, this was not anticipated. I've lived here for awhile, I should of expected this." Nathan laughed, leaning back in his seat and looking over at her.

Haley smiled at him, waving her hand. "Don't worry about it. I wanted to hear about your life now, and I think a traffic jam is the perfect place to do it." She laughed.

"Oh, you don't want to hear about me. It's the same. Basketball." Nathan said, shrugging his shoulders slightly.

"I never would of guessed that basketball was an important part of your life." She teased him, smiling over at him.

"You tell me about you, Miss Rockstar. I knew that you loved singing, but damn. I didn't know that you wanted all of this to happen. I thought you wanted to be a teacher?" He asked, raising his eyebrows at her.

She shrugged her shoulders slightly, "I did, I mean... I still do. And after all of this calms down, I plan on moving back to Tree Hill and teaching there. But I love this so much." She said, smiling slightly.

"Well, if you get even half the rush up on stage, that I get on the basketball court... Then I say that you made a wise decision." He hummed, smiling over at her.

Haley nodded her head slowly, looking at him. "So, I know you said that it's just basketball. But tell me about it. It was your dream, Nathan." She said, resting her elbow on the arm rest, leaning her chin on her palm.

"Oh come on, Haley. I know you don't care about basketball. I don't want to bore you." Nathan chuckled, glancing over at her.

"Just tell me what it's like, Nathan. You've been dreaming of this for you whole life. I'm proud of you for getting here." Haley said softly, smiling at him.

He looked over at her for a second, letting out a deep breath. "It's amazing. Hearing the roar of crowd is like music to my ears. Especially at home games. It's no where near what it was like in high school or college." Nathan hummed, shrugging his shoulders. "It's so different. There's more pressure, more excitement. There's nothing better than watching a shot sail into the net. Or realizing that you have a clear path to the hoop and going up for the dunk. It's just exciting. But there's also more pressure." He said, glancing over at her.

"You get so passionate when you talk about basketball. Can you believe in high school you almost gave it up?" Haley asked him, smiling slightly.

"I'm so glad I didn't." He replied, letting out a deep breath and watching the traffic.

"So how's your mom doing?" She asked after a second, looking out the windshield when they started to inch forward a little bit.

"She's doing good- well. She's doing well." He corrected himself, smirking at her. "Sorry, I forgot who I was in the car with. Anyways, she's still in Tree Hill. You'll never believe who he last boyfriend was, though." Nathan said, shaking his head quickly.

"Who?" Haley asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"Skillz." He groaned, shuddering and shaking his head.

"You're kidding?" She laughed, looking at him with wide eyes.

"I really wish I was! Oh man, I hated it so much. I went over there for Thanksgiving, and bam. Guess who was there? I walked into the house and he was in the kitchen with her, nibbling on her ear. I almost walked right out. I should of." He said, sighing softly.

"Nice!" Haley laughed loudly, shaking her head quickly. "When did they break up?" She asked.

"Like two weeks ago. Because he wanted to have kids, and she didn't. Can you imagine if my mom had kids with Skillz? Hell no." Nathan grumbled, shaking his head.

"Are you going to go home for Christmas?" She asked him, looking over when the traffic stopped again.

"I'll be home for like two days. I have a game the 23rd, and one on the 27th. But there's practice on the 26th, so I'll be home for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day." He said, shrugging.

"That must be terrible, I'm sorry about that." She said, frowning.

"No, it's fine. I like it. I can only spend so much time with my mom, and I hate being in Tree Hill because usually when I'm there, Dan pops up." He grumbled.

"Oh yeah. Brooke told me he got out of prison." She said softly, resting her hand on Nathan's arm.

"Yeah. But... I don't want to talk about that. How's your family doing? All five million kids? What are you plans for Christmas?" He asked her, chuckling quietly.

"Well, as you know, my parents sold their house after I left for college, bought a RV and started traveling. After doing that for almost three years, they decided it was time to settle down again. So they moved to Charlotte and live down the street from my brother and his family. So I'm probably going to go up there for Christmas and New Years. It should be fun. I think Quinn and her husband are coming too. Maybe Taylor." She shrugged.

"Well, that sounds like a lot of fun. I think that Karen, Lily, and Andy are coming home for Christmas, so they'll probably be at our house too. Maybe you should fly into Tree Hill then fly to Charlotte." He chuckled.

"Don't tempt me, I haven't seen Lily in so long. I bet she's big. What is she... Six now?" She asked her, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah." Nathan said, looking around at the unmoving cars, sighing softly.

"I haven't seen her since she was... Four? Karen came a visited me once when she was four I think." Haley said, smiling slightly. "Maybe I'll have to do that." She shrugged slightly, letting out a deep breath.

Nathan looked around, groaning and shaking his head. "I should of just picked somewhere within walking distance. I should know by now not to drive around.." He grumbled.

"Why don't you just park the car and we can walk now?" Haley suggested.

"Oh, well it's not that easy. We have to find a parking spot." Nathan said, shrugging. "And there's never a parking spot."

Haley looked around for a second, "There's a parking garage right there, Nathan." She laughed, pointing in front of them about a block away.

"Okay, okay. It could be another five years until we're all the way over there. So get comfortable." He hummed, looking over at her for a second.

After a few minutes, they finally made it into the parking garage and found a fairly lucky spot. Nathan had made an effort to make sure Haley didn't open her own door.

"There you are." He said, helping her out of the car.

"Thank you." She hummed, smiling up at him and letting out a deep breath.

"So, I drove because it's damn cold outside and I know you have a coat but still. Now we're walking anyways, and not even going to the place I made reservations at. Great date, huh?" He grumbled, looking around.

"Hey. It's fine, Nathan. Really." She said softly, rubbing his back for a second, before pulling her hand away.

"I was trying to pick a sort of secluded restaurant where people wouldn't try to talk to us and stuff, but we'll see what happens." Nathan said, letting out a deep breath. "And, you live in California, Haley. It's gotta be freezing compared to there. Here, take this." He said quickly, pulling off his jacket quickly and wrapping it around her.

"Nathan, I have a jacket. You have to stay warm too." Haley frowned at him, shaking her head.

"I'm fine. Let's just find somewhere close and we'll be good." He said, sucking in a deep breath.

They had found a small diner close by, and decided that it was worth a try. After about an hour of sitting there, they were talking and laughing like old friends.

"So I'm sitting at the bar, with Clay sitting next to me just crying on my shoulder. And I have no idea what's going on at all, but people are starting to give us weird looks. He's totally drunk off his ass, and crying, and he has been for about five minutes. Finally I get him to tell me what's wrong, and he says that they didn't ID him at the bar. He was crying all over my shirt because he didn't get IDed." Nathan laughed, looking at Haley and shaking his head.

"Hey, it's heart breaking the first time you don't get IDed. It makes you feel old." Haley laughed, shrugging her shoulders.

"I liked it. It's annoying having to show them your ID." He said, shaking his head and smiling at her.

"Yeah, well you're different from the rest of us then." She laughed, smiling in return and winking at him.

"So, how's this date going so far? Worth five thousand dollars?" He asked her, rubbing his neck softly.

"Every penny. I missed you, Nathan. You've always been fun to be around." She said, smiling at him.

"We should of kept in touch." Nathan said, sighing softly. "At least checked in with each other every once and awhile." He looked at her, shrugging a bit.

"Well, it's not too late to start. We can still keep in touch." Haley suggested, nodding her head at him.

Nathan nodded his head slowly, smiling at her. "You know what I thinks really cool? When I hear one of your songs on the radio." He said softly, smiling at her.

"It's weird, isn't it?" She laughed, shaking her head. "I don't know if I should listen to it, or change the station. I feel awkward listening to it."

"You shouldn't, you're amazing." Nathan shrugged his shoulders. "It's not a bad thing to be proud of yourself, and having a song on the radio is a big accomplishment."

"It's just a weird feeling." Haley laughed, smiling at him. "What about you? Do you record all of your games and watch them later?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, it sounds weird. But I do. I like to watch myself and notice what I did wrong, or what I did right. I'm not so much watching it because I'm on TV, I'm more watching it to correct myself." He shrugged slightly.

"I've watched some of your games before. I never watch the whole thing, but if I see that one is on then I watch for a few minutes. You look happy." She said softly. "Are you happy, Nathan?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"You know... I am happy. My life has turned out great. I love my job, and I love most of the people that are around to support me. What about you, Haley? Are you happy?" Nathan asked her softly.

"I'm very happy. All of my dreams are coming true. I'm happy." She confirmed, smiling at him. "It's nice to see that we both ended up in such good places. Sort of like closure, you know?" She said, tapping her fingers on the table.

Nathan nodded in agreement, "Yeah. I'm happy for you, Haley." He said softly, shrugging. "So... Are you dating anyone?" He asked her after a second, smirking slightly.

"Not exclusively, really. It's hard to know if people want to date you because of your status, or because of who you are. What about you?" She asked him, smiling slightly.

"I was for awhile. Not anymore. She was crazy." He laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "And when I say crazy, I mean she was actually crazy."

"I'm sorry to hear about that. But I'm sure the right person is out there for both of us, we just have to keep looking." Haley said softly, forcing a smile onto her face.

"Yeah. What about Peyton? How's she doing?" He asked after a second, leaning forward a bit.

"She's doing well. She dated this one guy for awhile, but they didn't click. I don't know. He seemed nice to me, and I liked him a lot. But there's always something wrong when it comes to her." Haley chuckled, shrugging. "What about Lucas? I met Lindsey the other night. She seems... Nice."

"She's boring as hell." Nathan laughed, shrugging. "They're boring as hell together. I mean, you should hear some of the conversations they have. And sometimes they try to get me involved and I have no idea what they're talking about. They debate stupid things with each other, like is Pluto still a planet?" He grumbled, rolling his eyes.

"I think it is, but that's beside the point." Haley chuckled, smiling at him. "They just don't seem to click that much." She shrugged.

"Yeah, I'm not looking forward to when they get married. They haven't even set a date yet, or anything. I guess they've only been engaged for like two weeks, but still." He groaned, shaking his head.

"Why don't you tell him? That you don't like her?" Haley suggested, looking at him. He was scowling, and she just wanted to reach her hand out and rub the scowl off of his face.

"Because he likes her. So that's just something I have to deal with." Nathan replied, sighing softly.

"That's a very adult thing to say, Nathan. I'm proud of you." Haley hummed, resting her hand on his for a second, before pulling it back.

"Yeah. So are you ready to go? I figured we would walk around for a little bit, just enjoy the Christmas lights and stuff." Nathan said, standing up slowly.

Haley nodded her head, handing him his coat. "But you have to wear this if we're going to do that. Can't have you sick before your games." She hummed, nodding at him.

"Sounds fair enough." He chuckled, taking his coat and putting it on. He quickly paid for the meal, despite Haley's protest, before tugging her outside.

At some point during their walk, Nathan's arm had found its way around Haley's shoulders, pulling her closer to him. Her head rested on his shoulder. They were currently sitting silently on a bench, in the same position, huddled close together.

"New York is beautiful." Haley said softly, glancing up at him. She gently rested her hand on his stomach, scooting a bit closer to him.

"Yeah, I really like it here. I love the snow. Don't see much of that ever in North Carolina." Nathan said softly, looking down at her.

"I miss Tree Hill, though. It's always going to be home. I always look forward to the next time I go back, even though it doesn't happen very often. I think I'll move back there one day." She said softly, smiling at him.

"I love Tree Hill, but I don't know if I'll ever move back there. Too many memories." He said quietly, looking down at her.

Haley's eyes connected with his, and she smiled slightly. He would move back there one day, she knew it. Despite what he was saying to her right now, he loved everything about Tree Hill. He used to get really homesick in college, and would often call her had ridiculous times and tell her how much he missed home, and her.

Before either of them knew what was going on, they were leaning towards each other. When their lips were about to connect, someone cleared their throat.

"Nathan Scott and Haley James? What are you two doing out together?" The girl asked, raising her eyebrows.

Haley looked over at her quickly, before standing up and letting out a deep breath. "Oh, just two old friends meeting up again." She said, smiling.

Nathan stood up quickly, nodding his head in agreement. "Yeah." He said softly, glancing over at Haley.

"Well... Can me and my friends get a picture with you two? It would mean a lot." She asked them, holding up her phone, and gesturing back to her friends.

Nathan and Haley looked at each other, nodding slowly.

"Yeah, that would be fine. Why don't you tell them to stop hiding and come on over?" Nathan laughed quietly, winking at the group of girls and waving.

They all slowly made their way over, stopping a random stranger to take their picture. All four girls squished in the middle of Nathan and Haley, taking a few pictures with them before they were on their way.

Nathan glanced at the time on his watch, letting out a deep breath. "What time is your flight?" He asked her softly, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Kind of early. I have a show tomorrow night that I need to get back for." Haley replied, tightening her jacket around herself.

"I better get you back then. It's getting close to midnight." He said softly, nodding at her.

She let out a deep breath, following him back to his car, her head spinning slightly.

After driving back to her hotel in silence, they slowly made their way into the elevator. They had yet to say a word when they made it to her hotel room.

Haley unlocked the door slowly, before turning to look at Nathan. "I had a good time tonight, Nathan. It was nice to see you again." She said softly, smiling.

"I had a good time too. Let's try not to go four years without speaking to each other again, yeah?" Nathan chuckled, pulling her into a warm hug.

Haley wrapped her arms around him tightly, breathing in his familiar scent. She missed him so much. She couldn't wait until the next time they saw each other.

Nathan looked down at her, letting out a deep breath. "So... I guess I'll see you at Christmas, huh? Maybe." He said softly.

"Yeah. I'll call you, okay?" She said softly, biting her lip.

He nodded slowly, holding onto her tightly. "Yeah." He whispered.

After standing there for a second, Haley pulled him down, kissing him deeply, "Don't say anything, Nathan. Just kiss me." She said softly, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.

Nathan nodded his head slowly, kissing her again, pulling her tightly against him. He backed her up into her hotel room quickly, the door slamming behind him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Finding The Way Back**

 **Chapter 6**

Haley blinked her eyes open when her phone started ringing. She sat up quickly once she realized that she wasn't alone in bed. She looked at Nathan quickly, her eyes wide. He looked peaceful. She quickly picked up her phone, holding it to her ear.

"Hello?" Haley said softly, glancing at her sleeping ex-boyfriend.

"Hey Tutor girl! I'm calling to ask how your date went last night? You promised to call me after it, remember? So I'm guessing you must be in Nathan's room right now." Brooke said in a sing-song voice.

Haley looked around her hotel room, sighing softly. "Nope. Just forgot to call you. I'm in my hotel room." She said softly.

"What a shame. You could use some good sex to lighten you up." Brooke hummed, "I was just calling to check in, but I have to go now. I'll see you soon, okay?" She said, sighing softly.

"Okay, Brooke. Maybe we can spend New Years together." Haley replied, watching as Nathan began to stir. "Bye, Brooke." She said, hanging up quickly.

Nathan stared at her for a second, his eyebrows raised. "So..." He trailed off, coughing awkwardly.

"This isn't good." Haley said softly, standing up and wrapping the sheet around herself. She picked up Nathan's clothes off the ground, handing them to him quickly.

"Yeah." He agreed, running his fingers through his hair quickly. "What do we do from here?" He asked her softly.

"This can just be... Closure sex." Haley suggested, shrugging her shoulders.

"Closure sex?" He asked, raising his eyebrows and letting out a deep breath.

"Yeah, like... We both know that the other is happy and we can finally let go of that part of our life. Closure." She said softly, looking at him.

"Yeah... Okay." Nathan mumbled out, letting out a deep breath. "Closure sex it is." He looked up at her, forcing a small smile onto his face.

"So... I'll call you?" Haley said softly, nodding at him.

"Yeah, you better. I'll see you at Christmas... Maybe?" Nathan asked her, shrugging his shoulders. "Maybe you could come to a game some time. If you think you can handle watching the whole thing?" He suggested.

She nodded her head, walking over to him slowly, leaning down and kissing his forehead. "I'm going to shower. You... Uh... You don't need to stick around." She said.

Nathan nodded slowly, "Yeah... I have... Practice anyways." He said quickly, watching her walk into the bathroom.

After a moment of hesitation, he shook his head and walked into the bathroom, sneaking into the shower behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, feeling her jump in surprise.

"You know what..." Nathan trailed off, looking down at her. "I don't think I have the closure I need yet." He said, smirking down at her. He began to trail kissed up her neck, closing his eyes tightly.

Haley tilted her head to the side, letting out a deep breath before turning around. "You're right." She said softly, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down into a deep kiss.

After their shower, Nathan had talked Haley into letting him stay and order room service with her. They ate silently for a few minutes, before Haley looked at him and let out a deep breath.

"We can't do this again, Nathan. Our schedules are way worse than they were four years ago. We still live on opposite sides of the country. We can't." She said softly.

Nathan looked at her, smiling slightly, "Hey, you said it was closure sex. And now I feel like I have closure. Just so you know, you probably just had the best sex ever, for the last time." He said, shrugging.

"I guess I'll have to be the judge of that." Haley hummed, nodding at him. "But really, Nathan. I missed you and I want to be friends. Just friends." She said softly, looking at him. "I don't want to deal with the heartache of living on the opposite side of the country, and only seeing each other every once and awhile."

"No one said anything about a relationship, Haley. Sometimes people get together and have sex, it's normal." He shrugged, sighing softly.

"Nathan, there's no normal when it comes to us. We can't let this happen again." She said softly, grabbing onto his hand, squeezing it softly. "We can't." She shrugged.

"Alright. We won't." He replied, kissing her hand. "Look, I better go. It was nice seeing you, Haley James. Don't be a stranger." Nathan said softly, kissing her head.

"Bye, Nathan." Haley said softly, watching him walk out. She let out a deep breath, looking around the room and sighing.

About a week later, Haley was sitting at Karen's old house in Tree Hill, Lucas sitting across from her.

She took a long drink of her coffee, letting out a small sigh.

"So how's Lindsey doing? You have any idea when the wedding will be?" She asked her friend, smiling over at him.

Lucas shrugged his shoulders, "I think she wants to get married in July next year. I would prefer to do it earlier, but we'll see what happens." He chuckled, looking at her. "How's Peyton doing?" He asked softly, tapping his fingers on his cup.

"She's doing really well. She loves Red Bedroom, and it's growing which is always good. I'm sure Brooke tells you all the gossip on Peyton's life whether you want to know it or not." She laughed, shaking her head.

"What about you, Hales? I saw some pictures of you and Nathan on your date. I also saw some pictures of him leaving your hotel the next morning." Lucas chuckled, smirking slightly.

"There's nothing going on between us. We're just trying to become friends." She said defensively.

"Hey, I'm not accusing you. I just know what I saw. It's not every day the Knicks point guard Nathan Scott is spotted leaving Rockstar Haley James' hotel room." Lucas laughed.

She shook her head, "We aren't going down that road again, Lucas. It's been four years, those feelings are gone." She mumbled, avoiding his eye contact.

"If that's your story." He replied, smiling and shrugging his shoulders. "So when does your flight leave?" Lucas asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"Tomorrow morning." Haley replied, looking up at him and smiling slightly.

"Nathan won't be home until tomorrow afternoon. Why don't you stay?" He asked her, smiling slightly.

"Lucas, tomorrow is Christmas Eve. I kind of have a family of my own, you know. And they don't see me too often because I'm busy." Haley laughed, shaking her head.

"Oh come on, Haley. You're practically my sister. My mom was your second mom. My home was your home." He argued.

"I still want to see my family, Lucas." She laughed, shrugging. "I miss my parents. And hopefully most of my siblings will decide to show up. We aren't all in the same place very often." She said, standing up and washing out her mug.

"You'd rather hang out with you family than your ex-boyfriend?" He asked her in mock-disbelief.

Haley rolled her eyes, chuckling quietly. "I would rather hang out with my family than anyone right now." She hummed, sitting back down.

"Even me?" Lucas asked, raising his eyebrows.

"You are my family, Lucas. Or... You were at one point. We sort of lost touch." She said, frowning at him.

"Yeah." He replied, sighing softly and looking down.

"What happened? After Nathan and I broke up, you wouldn't answer any of my calls or texts for three months? Why?" Haley asked him, "I thought we were closer then that."

"I know, Haley. I'm sorry. But after you said no to Nathan's proposal, he was really hurting." Lucas said softly, looking at her.

Haley raised her eyebrows, "Nathan's proposal?" She asked him.

Lucas shrugged his shoulders, "Yeah, you know? When he proposed to you and you said no."


	7. Chapter 7

Finding The Way Back

 **Okay, someone said something about line breaks and I really would do that except I have no idea how to do it (and I'm not entirely sure what that means so if anyone has tips, help) or anything besides bold and italicize stuff.**

 **Chapter 7**

"Wait- What?" Haley asked him, frowning at him and shaking her head. "What are you talking about?"

"Nathan told me that he proposed to you, and you said no and that you wanted to break up instead. He was crushed." Lucas said, frowning slightly. "Do I not have my facts straight?"

A million thoughts were swarming through Haley's head. Was Nathan actually going to propose to her all those years ago? She had thought that the break up was mutual. They went to schools on different sides of the country, and it had been hard to keep their relationship alive for as long as they did. Was it her that broke up with him? She had been the one to initiate the conversation, but he had agreed to it. Haley had thought that maybe he was going to break up with her as well. She let her thoughts drift back to the day that they had broken up, four years ago.

 _Haley had been in Tree Hill visiting with Karen over spring break, while Nathan was finishing up his last couple classes, then was going to head home. He had called her at around three, and asked her to go to dinner with him later that night. He sounded nervous, and stressed out. She was hesitant, of course. Because she told herself the next time they saw each other, she was going to bring up the idea of ending their relationship. It had just been so hard on both of them._

 _Once they were at dinner, Nathan looked like he had sounded on the phone, nervous. He had a drink in his hand from the second he sat down, which seemed to calm him down at little bit._

 _"You look nice." He had said to her, glancing up at her from his menu._

 _"Thank you." Haley replied, smiling slightly at him. She really wasn't sure if she was making the right choice, but she knew it had to be done._

 _After about an hour of sitting there, Nathan hardly touching his food and hardly saying a word, he spoke up._

 _"Listen, there's something I need to talk to you about." He began, sucking in a deep breath._

 _"Me too." Haley said softly, sending him a small smile._

 _"Oh, uh. You can go first." He said softly, nodding at her._

 _"I think... I think it's time we went our separate ways, Nathan. This relationship is great, and I love you so much. It's just... Getting too hard to be away from you all of the time. We go days without talking to each other, Nathan. And that's not what I'm looking for. I need someone who is close to me. We've just been drifting apart, and sometimes a flickering flame goes out." She had said to him, her hand resting on his._

 _Nathan had look shocked, but quickly composed himself, putting on a fake smile. "I, I was going to talk to you about that too. It just gets hard, Haley." He said to her, nodding his head._

 _Had he been lying to her the whole time? After he said that, he had slouched back into his seat, something she had dismissed as relief. But now... She wasn't so sure_.

Lucas' voice brought her out of her thoughts. "Haley? Where'd you go?" He asked her.

"He never proposed to me. I told him we should break up, and he agreed." Haley said softly, frowning at her friend.

"That's... Odd. I saw the ring, so he was planning on proposing." Lucas frowned, sighing softly.

"I thought it was mutual, Lucas. Everything about that dinner made it seem mutual. But when I think back... I don't know." She sighed, shaking her head.

"I can't believe he told me you said no. I'm sorry, Haley. I thought he did it. I should of talked to you before I cut you out." He said softly.

"I was not expecting this at all." Haley said softly, running her fingers through her hair. "It does make sense, though." She whispered, pressing her face into her hands.

"I'm sorry, wow. I shouldn't of told you that probably... But that explains why I stopped talking to you." He said softly.

"I had no idea." Haley said, letting out a deep breath. "I thought he wanted to break up. I thought it was mutual." She shrugged slightly, "I guess it makes sense for him to try to make me the bad guy. I don't blame you, Lucas. Honestly, he's your brother and I hurt him. You did the right thing." She said softly, closing her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Haley. I didn't know that he didn't actually do it." Lucas mumbled, looking down and sighing.

"No, Lucas. It's not your fault. Wow, I can't believe he was going to propose." Haley looked up at him, shaking her head.

"Would you of said yes?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

Haley frowned slightly, tapping her fingers on the table and looking down at it. Would she of said yes if he would of gone first? She really did love him but the distance thing was just so hard. She looked up at him again, shrugging.

"I don't know... Maybe. There would be so much we had to work out first. We were young, Lucas. Would we wait until school was over, would I transfer to Duke, or would he transfer to Stanford? I know he never finished school, but what would of happened? So... I don't know if I would of said yes. It's hard to tell." Haley finally said, letting out a deep breath. "Wow."

"Look, uh... Don't bring this up to him." Lucas said softly, nodding at her.

"Oh, no. I won't. That's just a lot to take in. I really thought that it was a mutual break up... I guess not." She said, sighing softly.

"Yeah..." Lucas looked over at her, "So, where are you staying tonight?" He asked.

"Just one of the few hotels in Tree Hill." She shrugged her shoulders, looking down and sighing.

"Whatever, Hales. Just stay here. My mom won't be here until tomorrow, her plane got delayed. You can sleep in her bed." He said, shaking his head.

"Oh no, Lucas... I couldn't. It's fine, really." She argued, shaking her head quickly.

Lucas frowned, "Nope. You're staying here. Come on, I missed you. We can stay up all night and talk like we used to." He said, smiling at her.

Haley sighed, shaking her head. "Ugh. Fine, fine. I'll stay here. But I'm taking the couch." She shrugged.

"Like hell you are. You'll sleep in my mom's room." Lucas laughed, winking at her. "Come on, let's go get some ice cream. You're buying, superstar." He hummed, pulling her to her feet.

Lucas and Haley walked back into the house at around eleven, after getting ice cream they had gone to play basketball, then gone out for drinks.

They walked in, laughing quietly about something that had happened when they were kids, both of them stopping once they saw Nathan sitting on the couch with a girl who was unfamiliar to Haley, an annoyed expression on his face as she talked his ear off.

"Lucas! Hey!" Nathan said quickly, his face falling when he saw Haley standing next to him. "Haley... Hey." He said softly, glancing at the girl. "I didn't know you would be here." He frowned.

"What are you doing here?" Lucas asked, glancing past him at the girl and rolling his eyes. "Hello, Carrie. It's nice to see you again." He grumbled, absolutely no real meaning in his voice.

"You know, my mom wasn't home and I was hoping that you would be." Nathan shrugged, "But I can tell you two clearly didn't watch my game." He chuckled, looking at Haley and sighing.

Carrie stood up, wrapping her arm around Nathan, "Mm... He played great. He's so sexy on a basketball court." She said, pulling Nathan's face down to kiss her.

Nathan stopped before she had the chance, looking over at Haley. "Haley, what are you doing here?" He asked her softly.

"Nathan, you invited me, remember? I came to see Lily and Karen." Haley said through a tight smile, shrugging her shoulders.

"Right, yeah. Carrie, why don't you go call us a cab? I have to talk to Lucas for a second." Nathan said softly, gesturing for her to go into the kitchen.

Carrie kissed Nathan's cheek, before hurrying off into the kitchen.

After a moment of silence, Lucas scoffed quietly. "Dammit, Nathan. You broke up with her. What is she doing here?" He grumbled.

"I didn't want to be alone on Christmas." Nathan said softly, looking down at the ground.

"She's insane, Nathan! Absolutely nuts." Lucas said to him, swatting him on the back of the head. "Besides, you wouldn't be alone. You have all of us."

"It's not the same, Lucas. Look, I'm sorry, okay? I didn't know what to do." Nathan sighed, shrugging.

"How about try to find someone who isn't crazy? You're Nathan Scott, it shouldn't be that hard when girls practically throw themselves at you." Lucas grumbled, rolling his eyes.

Haley looked between the two brothers, smiling slightly. They really had come so far since high school. She chuckled quietly at the thought of them back in school, before two sets of blue eyes landed on her.

"Why're you laughing?" Lucas asked, raising his eyebrows and shaking his head.

"Because, Lucas. Just let him be happy. If that girl makes him happy, then leave him be." Haley shrugged, shaking her head and laughing again.

Nathan looked deflated at Haley's words, but when he caught Lucas' eyes, he perked up again. "Yeah, Lucas. My good friend Haley wants me to be happy. Why can't everyone else just agree?" He said, trying to keep the bitterness out of his tone.

"I'll call Clay, and he can talk to you about this. What do you think of that?" Lucas grumbled, looking over at Haley.

"Call him, I don't care." Nathan sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Look, Lucas. It's not like we were having sex on your couch or anything? We were just talking." He mumbled.

"Nathan, she's crazy. You know that she's crazy. You told me that you were so happy when you broke up with her. What changed that?" Lucas asked.

Nathan's gaze flickered to Haley momentarily, then back to Lucas, shrugging his shoulders. "I need to grow up, Luke." He grumbled.

Lucas sighed heavily, closing his eyes and letting out a deep breath, "Surely she has her own family to get back to." He said softly.

"Yes, Lucas. She's only staying until tomorrow then she's flying home. I just talked her into coming with me for tonight." Nathan said, looking over at Haley and nodding at Lucas.

Haley sent him a small smile, before looking down and sighing softly. "If it's only one night then maybe we should stay up and hang out for awhile, Luke? Might be fun." She chuckled, nudging him softly.

"You guys can't spend the night here. You have to be gone by midnight." Lucas sighed, wrapping his arm around Haley's shoulders, pulling her into a side hug.

Nathan watched them carefully. He knew that there was nothing between them, and there never would be. But he would give anything to be standing in Lucas' place with his arm around Haley. The past week she was all he could think about. He thought maybe if Carrie was with him then Haley would be off his mind, but it didn't work at all. Their little "closure" sex thing hasn't been a smart move for them, well for him at least. His heart ached to be with her. He felt exactly like he had four years ago when she had broken up with him. Head over heels with a girl that didn't love him back, so here he was. Trying to move forward.

Nathan let out a deep breath, nodding his head. "Alright, sounds fair enough. I'll go tell her never mind." He said quietly, walking into the kitchen.

"What's so crazy about her?" Haley asked, raising her eyebrows.

"She calls him fifty times in an hour, gets super jealous, and will verbally attack anyone who takes away time that they could of been spending together. You'll see, Haley. She's crazy." Lucas chuckled, shaking his head and guiding her into the kitchen.

Within fifteen minutes of spending time with them, Haley was ready for Carrie to get the hell out. Her and Nathan would be in the middle of a conversation, and Carrie would grab his face and kiss him, which Nathan didn't let last very long. He actually looked pretty annoyed at her the whole time. What was he doing with her? This must be the crazy ex that he had told her a little bit about.

She looked over at Lucas, his face matching Nathan's annoyed one. "So Carrie... How did you and Nathan meet?" Haley asked, looking over at the 'couple.'

"Oh, you know. I went to one of his games and he just couldn't keep his eyes off of me. We connected." Carrie grinned, winking at Nathan.

"Oh really? I thought you stalked him after the game and followed him to the bar he went to? Am I mistaken?" Lucas asked her, smirking slightly.

Haley picked up her wine, taking a long drink, noting that Nathan did the same with the bottle in his hand, her gaze flicked to Carrie once she started talking again.

"Whatever, Lucas. He wanted me to follow him. We had a connection, right baby?" She cooed, rubbing Nathan's neck gently.

Nathan sighed softly, closing his eyes and forcing a smile onto his face, looking up at Haley after a second, "Yep." He mumbled,

That moment was when Lucas knew what was going on. Something had happened between his brother and his best friend on their date last week. Something that brought Nathan back to yearning for Haley. He looked over at Haley, who was maintaining eye contact with Nathan. He had a feeling this was either going to end really well, or really badly.


	8. Chapter 8

**Finding The Way Back**

 **Chapter 8**

Nathan laid in bed, unable to fall asleep. He glanced over at Carrie, sighing softly. Why the hell did he bring her here? What was the point? She had an early morning flight, so they would barely spend any time together. Not to mention she annoyed the hell out of him. What was wrong with him? His excuse was terrible. He didn't give a shit about being alone on Christmas, what he did care about was Haley seeing him with Carrie. Was he trying to make her jealous? Probably. Of course he had known she was going to be there. There had been pictures of her at the Tree Hill airport. He wasn't planning on coming home until Christmas Eve, but he knew he had a small window of time. It wasn't turning out as well as he'd hoped though, it seemed like she hardly cared.

He stayed next to Carrie for a few more minutes, shaking his head and standing up. It was just past three in the morning, but he didn't care. He had to get out of there. Nathan quickly pulled on a sweatshirt, and picked up an old basketball he had sitting in the corner of his room. He glanced at Carrie, rolling his eyes and heading down the stairs. He grabbed his mom's car keys off the counter, and headed outside.

Haley pulled up to the Rivercourt around 3:30, raising her eyebrows at the dark figure that was running around, shooting the ball into the hoop. She got out of the car slowly, letting out a deep sigh.

"Nathan? What are you doing here?" Haley asked him, tightening her jacket around herself.

"I could ask you the same thing- is that Lucas' car?" Nathan asked, looking at her.

"Yeah, I took it. He doesn't know. So, um... Don't tell him." She laughed, sitting down at the picnic table, looking at him. "What are you doing here?" She asked him softly.

He looked over at her, sighing softly. "I couldn't sleep." He mumbled, shrugging and shooting the ball into the hoop.

"Same." Haley replied, letting out a deep breath. She watched him shoot the ball around silently, blinking at the words that came out of his mouth a few minutes later.

"Why can't I get over you?" Nathan asked her, throwing the ball at the ground in frustration, catching it when it came back down.

"Nathan..." Haley frowned, looking at him and sighing softly. "Are you sure this is a conversation we want to have?" She asked him quietly.

"Yeah, I'm sure. This sucks. I've been trying to move on for four years, Haley. And I always have a shitty excuse as to why I can't continue to date someone. Oh, this person is too tall, this person's eyes aren't the color I like the most. I hate it. I compare everyone to you, and I have yet to find anyone that competes with you." He grumbled, shaking his head and throwing the ball into the hoop.

"Nathan, I thought we were going to move past this. We were going to be friends." She said, squeezing her eyes shut.

"I don't know if I can ever be just friends with you again, Haley." Nathan mumbled, letting out a deep sigh.

"It's been four years. I'm not that girl anymore, Nathan. Maybe you remember me as the girl you want to be with, but I'm not her." She said softly, standing up slowly and walking to him.

"That's not true, Haley. Besides, even if it was... I've changed too." He said softly.

Haley rested her hands on his cheeks, forcing him to look at her. "We should've broken up long before we did, Nathan. Our relationship was falling apart. We barely spoke to each other." She said softly, brushing her thumbs over his cheekbones.

"Yeah but I loved you so much." Nathan whispered, closing his eyes and letting out a deep breath.

She ran her fingers through his hair, pulling him down into a tight hug. "I loved you too, Nathan. I did. It was just the right thing to do. We lived so far away from each other, and stopped talking without even realizing it at first."

He let out a deep breath, shaking his head head. "Whatever, Haley. Didn't you see a future with me?" He asked her, pulling away from her hug and turning back to the hoop.

"Of course I did, Nathan. I don't know why you're suddenly being so accusing. You agreed to break up. Why didn't you keep fighting, huh?" Haley asked him, frowning.

"Because you had your mind set on ending our relationship, Haley. Why be with someone who doesn't want to be with me?" He said softly, shaking his head.

"Nathan, I wanted you to be with someone that you couldn't go a day without talking to you. I wanted you to have someone that lived close enough that when you were feeling homesick, or upset, you could go to them and they could just hold you and make the pain go away. I wanted you to have someone that you could do all those things for too. I wanted you to be happier than I could make you." She whispered, letting out a small sigh.

Nathan shook his head, keeping his focus on the basket. "I was going to propose to you that night. Pretty screwed up, huh?" He mumbled, shooting the ball in before going to retrieve it, avoiding Haley's gaze.

Lucas had been right. She hadn't doubted him, but it felt so weird to hear it from Nathan. She felt guilty that she had caused him so much heartache and didn't even know it. After a second, Haley noticed that he had set the basketball down, and pulled out his wallet.

Nathan held up the small silver, diamond encrusted band that had been sitting in his wallet since that night. It wasn't much, he could probably get her way better today, but as a poor college student it was all he could afford. But he worked his ass off to get it.

Haley let out a deep breath, closing her eyes for a second, before taking it from his hand, examining it. It was simple, but that didn't take away from it's beauty at all. "It's beautiful, Nathan." She said softly.

"I was absolutely crushed." Nathan said softly, looking at her and shaking his head.

"I didn't know." Haley said softly, looking down at the ring again.

"I know you didn't." He replied, sighing.

"Why did you keep it?" She asked after a second, raising her eyebrows at him.

"For the same reason you have your tattoo. I look back and think about how great it felt to be in love with you, and how much fun we had." He shrugged slightly, letting out a deep breath.

"It's beautiful, it really is. I'm sorry, Nathan. I didn't mean to hurt you so badly." She whispered, placing it back in his hand.

"Would it have made a difference if I talked first?" He asked her, looking down at her.

"It would've been harder, but I think the outcome would still be the same." Haley said softly. "But that doesn't mean I didn't love you, Nathan. I loved you so much. I thought I was doing the right thing, maybe I was and maybe I wasn't."

"You'll come to you senses, Haley James. One day. I'll wait as long as I can, so try to do it quickly. We're meant to be together." Nathan said quickly, walking to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her deeply. "After four years I can still feel it in my heart." He said, smirking down at her.

Haley blinked in surprise, raising her eyebrows up at him, "We'll just have to wait and see then, won't we?" She said softly, sending him a small smile.

"Trust me, baby. It's you and me." He said, shooting the basketball into the hoop, before heading to his mom's car.

"You're just going to leave that?" Haley called after him, nodding to the basketball that was rolling away.

"Keep it!" Nathan replied, getting in the car and driving off.

She blinked, shaking her head and walking over to the basketball, picking it up slowly. She turned it in her hands, noticing that Nathan hard written 'Haley James' in bold letters on it. He must of written that in high school.

Haley let out a deep breath, closing her eyes and shaking her head. She was about to become putty in Nathan Scott's hands, whether she wanted to be or not.


	9. Chapter 9

**Finding The Way Back**

 **Okay I just want to clarify that Lucas didn't write Unkindness of Ravens and became famous off a different book.**

 **Chapter 9**

"Okay, Haley. Before we move talk about your album, and touring... Let's talk about Nathan Scott for a second." The interviewer suggested, smirking at her.

Haley had known this was going to be brought up. She'd seen the pictures from their 'date' all over the Internet since they went out. "Alright... Let's talk about him, Janice." She chuckled, forcing a smile onto her face

Janice looked at the audience, winking. "We've got her right where we want her, folks." She laughed, before turning to Haley. "What can you tell us about him?"

"You know... What a lot of people don't know is that I've actually known Nathan since high school. I was best friends with his brother Lucas growing up, and then I started tutoring Nathan and we became friends as well." Friends was an understatement, and she knew that. But she wasn't going to risk starting anything.

"Friends?" Janice questioned, glancing back as a picture of Nathan and Haley in high school appeared on the screen behind them.

It was them after one of the Raven's games. Nathan wearing his basketball uniform still, and she was wearing her cheer leading uniform. They had their arms around each other and big grins on their faces. Haley remembered that night. He played so well, and Deb made them take a picture afterwards. They looked so young and happy, it made her heart ache to be the girl in the picture again.

"Look how little we are!" Haley laughed, smiling at the picture.

"I didn't know that you were a cheerleader." Janice pointed out, nodding at her.

"Yeah, thanks to Brooke Davis. It's kind of an odd story, but yeah. I became a cheerleader my senior year." Haley laughed, shaking her head.

"So you and Nathan were just friends in high school?" Janice asked, smirking slightly.

"Yeah... We were friends." Haley frowned, looking up at the screen as the picture changed.

It was a group picture on graduation day. Brooke, Peyton, Lucas, Nathan, Haley, Skillz, and Mouth. Everyone was smiling at the camera, but Nathan and Haley had decided it would be funny to ruin the picture and kiss right before it was taken. Her mother was the one taking it, and she'd been annoyed at them. But when she was sending out the pictures, she sent out all of them so that one still existed.

"Friendly kiss, right?" Janice jabbed, shrugging her shoulders.

Haley sighed softly. This interview was not going well. "Okay, we dated from out junior year of high school, to our sophomore year of college." She admitted, shaking her head. "But I'm not going to get into it." She said.

"Well, this is new information. What was it... Four years?" Janice asked.

Haley sighed, "Probably closer to three and a half. We weren't dating our whole junior year or our whole sophomore year." She said, shaking her head.

"And have you two kept in touch?" Janice asked her, smiling.

"No, not really. We're trying to get to know each other again, and be friends." Haley shrugged her shoulders, glancing up at the picture again.

"I wouldn't want to be just friends with a guy like that, let me tell you. I don't care about Basketball at all, but if my husband is watching a Knicks game, I sit right down with him and watch that boy like a hawk." Janice laughed, "Check out his biceps next time you're watching, because hot damn." She said to the crowd, winking.

Haley laughed quietly, rolling her eyes. "It's good to see him again. He's very fun to be around and to spend time with." She hummed, smiling slightly.

"So does this mean you'll be making an appearance at his New Year's Eve party tomorrow?" Janice asked her, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, I'll be there." Haley confirmed, nodding her head.

"Are we going to see a new relationship forming next year? I guess I should say a new old relationship?" Janice asked her, smirking.

"Not a romantic one, no. But we're going to be friends. Our schedules are too busy." Haley shrugged her shoulders, forcing a smile onto her face.

"What a shame. But at least now we all know that Nathan Scott is single." Janice winked.

Haley's smiled faltered a little bit when she heard the cheers of the crowd. She didn't like that, but it was still true.

Janice looked at her, "Anyways.. Let's talk about your album and your upcoming tour."

The rest of the interview was spent talking about that, thankfully.

Haley had arrived at Nathan's party at about ten o'clock, a little later than he had requested her to be. The party was actually being held at Tric this year, rather than some bar in New York. From the second she had arrived, she'd seen Nathan talking to a different group of people, usually a lot of them consisted of girls. She'd been there for a half an hour already, and had yet to speak a single word to him. She was pretending to listen to whatever Lindsey was talking to her and Lucas about, but her eyes wouldn't leave Nathan. He would sometimes look up at her and wink, or smirk at her, but that was all their interaction.

"What do you think, Haley?" Lucas asked her, smiling slightly.

"Yeah, um... It's cool. When did Brooke say she was going to be here?" Haley asked, looking at Lucas.

"I know weren't listening, otherwise you would not of agreed with that." Lucas chuckled, shaking his head. "She said she'd be here soon, but you know Brooke. Did Peyton tell you that she's coming too?" He asked her.

"Peyton? No. She didn't mention that to me. I wasn't expecting her to come." Haley replied, raising her eyebrows.

"Peyton as in... Peyton Sawyer?" Lindsey asked, frowning at them.

"Yeah, but you don't need to worry. She's just a friend now, Lindsey." Lucas assured her, glancing over at Haley. "Let me get you a drink." He said to his fiancé, dragging her over to the bar.

Haley nodded, letting out a deep breath. Her gaze found Nathan's again, and she sighed softly. He looked good tonight, and that wasn't helping her at all. Coming here probably wasn't the best idea, but she'd missed all of her friends.

Haley turned around when she heard someone call out her name, smiling slightly as a tall, light brown haired guy walked up to her.

"Uh, hey. My name is Connor. Hey." Connor stuttered out, smiling down at her. "I don't know if you remember me, but I was friends with Quinn in high school." He said, nodding down at her.

"Oh yeah! I think I remember you." Haley said, nodding up at him. "You look different." She smiled at him.

"Yeah, who knew the gym could change people? And contacts could help you see as well as glasses." He laughed, grinning at her.

"It's a magical world out there." She replied, shrugging her shoulders.

"I was just coming up to tell you that I think this whole music thing is really cool. I had no idea that you could sing, and I spent quite a bit of time at your house." He said, nodding at her.

"That's sweet, thank you." She said, smiling up at him. "You're the one that let Quinn and her friends practice their make up on him... Right?" She teased him, nudging him with her elbow.

"Oh man, surely that can't be the memory you choose to have of me. I let them do it because I was head over heels for one of our friends, and she asked me to." Connor groaned, shaking his head.

"That's the memory I'm going to stick with, Connor." Haley replied, shrugging her shoulders.

"Can we pick a different one? Or maybe make a new one?" He asked her, smiling down at her.

Haley opened her mouth to reply, when she felt someone pressed up against her back. She glanced over her shoulder, looking up at Nathan.

"Nathan Scott." Nathan said, sticking out his hand to Connor, scowling slightly.

"Uh, hey. Connor Reed." Connor said, raising his eyebrows and shaking Nathan's hand slowly.

Haley took a small step forward to put a little bit of distance between herself and Nathan's muscular torso, because all she wanted to do was lean back into him and stay there forever, but he hadn't said a word to her all night, so she wasn't going to give him that satisfaction.

"So anyways, Haley... Would you like to dance?" Connor asked her.

"Oh... I don't know..." She trailed off, glancing behind her shoulder at Nathan. "Ah, what the hell. One dance won't won't kill me." She laughed, looking back at Connor.

"Excellent. Let's hope I can leave a different impression. It was nice meeting you, Nathan." Connor smirked, grabbing Haley's hand and pulling her away.

Nathan watched them with a scowl on his face, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. He watched as Haley would laugh at something Connor had said, or as his hands rested a little too low or a little too high on her body. He gripped the bottle in his hand, letting out a deep breath, glancing around momentarily to see if he could spot Clay or Lucas around. But nope. Just people he barely knew, or didn't know at all.

"How about another dance?" Connor asked once they had finished, smiling at her. "Different song, different style. What do you say, Haley James?" He asked her, shrugging.

Haley glanced over at Nathan for a second, "I better not. It was nice seeing you, Connor. Really." She said, smiling slightly. "Maybe we can catch up again sometime?" She suggested politely, knowing that the odds were against him.

"Maybe." Connor said, nodding at her. He let out a small sigh, before heading away slowly.

Haley walked over to the bar, sitting down in an empty seat. Within moments, she looked up and found Nathan sitting next to her.

"So, you have a New Year's kiss tonight?" Nathan asked, looking over at her, smirking slightly.

"Not yet, but the night is still young." Haley replied, winking at him.

"That was uncool, Haley. Dancing with that guy." He grumbled, scooting his stool closer to her, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"You haven't said a word to me all night, Nathan." She shrugged her shoulders.

He smirked at her, "Is that jealousy I detect? From you? Now why would that be?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I'm not jealous." Haley defended herself, shaking her head.

"You know I only have eyes for you, Haley James." He said softly, leaning over, placing a soft kiss on her neck.

"Oh really? Where's Carrie?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"Low blow. She's out of the picture completely. She never really was in the picture. I just needed someone to distract me." Nathan replied, pulling her stool closer, nuzzling his nose against her neck, sucking in a deep breath.

"Distract you from what?" Haley questioned him, tilting her head to the side, her eyes squeezing shut.

"From you." He whispered against her skin, before pulling back.

Haley let out a breath of relief, glancing around, noticing that there were a few people watching them. "People are staring, Nathan." She said softly.

"Let them. I want the world to know how much I want you, Hales." He shrugged, grabbing onto her hand and holding it tightly.

Haley looked down at their hands, sighing softly and shaking her head, but not pulling her hand away, which did not go unnoticed by Nathan.

"Look at us. Two friends that are holding hands and that are going to kiss at midnight. Best buddies." He said, smirking.

"I never said anything about kissing you at midnight." Haley said softly, raising her eyebrows at him.

"You didn't have to, Hales. We're going to kiss at midnight, and it doesn't have to mean anything. You can tell me at 12:01 that we're still better as friends, and that the distance will be hard, and I'll just smile and nod. But there's not a single guy in this place that is good enough to kiss you at midnight, myself included. Might as well kiss one you trust." He said, holding onto her hand tightly.

"What makes you say that?" Haley asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"Because there's no one in the world that's good enough for you." Nathan replied, winking at her.

She rolled her eyes, chuckling quietly. "Whatever you say, Nathan. But fine. I'll kiss you at midnight, but it doesn't mean anything." She added, squeezing his hand softly, before pulling hers away.

"Whatever you say." He replied, smirking at her. "You know you want me." He hummed, taking a drink of his beer.

Haley laughed, pushing him softly, "Do not, Nathan." She shook her head, smiling at him.

"Not a very convincing lie, Haley." He hummed, smiling slightly.

"Who says I'm lying?" She questioned him, ordering herself a drink.

"I know you." Nathan replied, winking at her. "Better than you think I do. I did sort of date you for nearly four years, you know?" He shrugged.

"Oh, I must of forgotten about that." She hummed, shaking her head.

"You're real funny, James. You know that?" He laughed, shaking his head.

"So I've been told." She grinned at him, shrugging slightly.

"And who's told you that?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"You know... People." Haley shrugged, tapping her fingers on her glass once it was handed to her.

"I see. So these 'people' do they actually exist?" He smirked at her.

"You're a jerk." She laughed, poking his arm softly.

"There you go, cracking more jokes. At least you can make me laugh. I mean, if we're going to be together for the rest of our lives, you might need to be able to make me laugh." He said, smirking.

Haley choked on her drink, looking over at him. "You're ridiculous, Nathan." She said, shaking her head.

Nathan grinned at her, kissing her head softly. "Am I?" He shrugged, looking up. "Here come Brooke and Peyton. I'll get going. See you at midnight, beautiful." He hummed, winking at her before disappearing into the crowd.

"Am I blind of did I just see Nathan kiss you?" Brooke said, smirking slightly.

"On the forehead, Brooke. It was a friendly thing." Haley said, sighing softly.

"Okay, sure. If that's how Nathan treats his friends then he and I must not be very good friends." Brooke hummed, shaking her head.

"Come on, Haley. Are you ever going to tell us what happened on your date? It's been a couple weeks." Peyton said, sitting in Nathan's seat.

"Nothing happened." Haley said, looking down and shaking her head.

"Oh yeah? What are the pictures of him leaving your hotel the morning after, then?" Brooke asked, winking at her. "I asked you if you slept with him, and you said no."

"No, you asked me if I ended up in his bed, and the answer was no." Haley said, shrugging.

"So you did sleep with him! Haley James!" Peyton said, shaking her head. "How did it happen? He can be intoxicating, can't he?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Guys, I don't want to talk about this." Haley grumbled, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, honey. That's cute. We're talking about it. What move did he pull on you?" Brooke asked, chuckling quietly.

"I made the first move." Haley sighed, shaking her head. "I kissed him, and then it just sort of happened."

"Damn! Were you drunk?" Brooke asked, raising her eyebrows.

"No, I wasn't drunk." Haley sighed, looking into her glass.

"But you guys aren't back together?" Peyton asked, raising her eyebrows.

"No, we aren't. We called it closure sex." Haley said softly, shaking her head.

"Interesting. How's that going for you?" Brooke asked her, chuckling quietly.

"Let's stop talking about me, and start talking about Peyton. Have you seen Lindsey yet?" Haley asked, raising her eyebrows.

"No, I haven't. But it's fine, I don't really care. Lucas and I have been over since before you and Nathan broke up." Peyton shrugged, sighing softly.

"Oh come on, P. Sawyer. Don't you think there's going to be some tension? I've met Lindsey, and she's gorgeous. But she's totally different from you, and from any of the girls that Luke has dated." Brooke hummed, shrugging.

"She's right." Haley agreed, nodding her head.

"Whatever, let's turn this back to you, Brooke. How's your love life going?" Peyton said, shaking her head.

"It is not going very well, thank you for asking. Really, it's better this way because then I can focus on Clothes over Bros." Brooke hummed, shrugging.

"Smart, putting your work first." Haley said, nodding slowly and sighing.

"Yeah, for me it's smart because I haven't found my other half. But if we're talking about you, Haley, then you need to jump on that train before it's left the station." Brooke hummed, nodding over at Nathan. "Because he's been looking over here every three seconds since we got here. I guarantee if we found a guy to talk to you, he'd be here before you even knew his name." She chuckled.

"He's just trying to protect me." Haley shrugged, "If Lucas saw me talking to some random guy, he'd probably come over and introduce himself too."

"The question is, why does Nathan get to talk to all of those girls, but if we grabbed a guy he would come over?" Peyton hummed, looking at her.

"Because I don't care to stop him from talking to those girls. He can do whatever he wants." Haley replied, shrugging.

"I see." Brooke said, looking over at Nathan and waving.

Around midnight, Haley was talking with a random guy, who's name she couldn't remember for the life of her. He had been talking to her for about ten minutes, and any attempt she would make to leave the conversation, he would stop. As it got closer to midnight, Nathan was no where in sight. She couldn't tell if she was feeling relieved or disappointed, but she would guess that it was probably the latter.

She glanced around as the countdown started, feeling the random guy's hand rest on her waist. Hell no, this was not going to happen. After a second of being there, she felt someone grab her hand, and pull her away.

"Thought I would miss this?" Nathan chuckled, his arms tightening around her waist.

Haley rolled her eyes, wrapping her arm around his neck, smiling up at him.

Nathan ducked his head down, pulling her closer to him and kissing her deeply.

Haley's fingers dipped beneath his shirt collar, gently rubbing his warm skin, pulling him down a bit more.

After about a minute, Nathan pulled back and smirked down at her. "I would never miss this. Happy New Year, Hales. I hope it brings you joy, and I hope it brings me closer to you." He said softly.

Haley looked up at him, nodding her head. "We'll just have to wait and see." She said softly, standing on her toes and kissing him once more, before disappearing off into the crowd of people.


	10. Chapter 10

**Finding The Way Back**

 **Okay, so I'm having trouble deciding if I want this to have Brucas and Jeyton or Leyton and Brulian, so if anyone has an opinion, that would be great!**

 **Chapter 10**

Haley hadn't heard from Nathan since New Years. Two whole weeks without a phone call or a text. Lucas had informed her that he'd been extremely busy, and any free time he had was spent sleeping, but this is what she feared about them getting back together. That they would never speak to each other. It didn't help that her tour was about to start, so that would cut her free time in half.

"Haley? What are you thinking about?" Brooke asked her, laughing quietly.

"Oh, nothing." Haley responded, sighing softly.

"It wouldn't have anything to do with this man, would it?" Brooke asked her, smirking and holding up the magazine she was reading, a picture of her and Nathan kissing at New Years in the article she was reading.

"I was waiting for that to show up." Haley said, shaking her head and sighing.

"So what's wrong?" Brooke asked, leaning forward a bit.

"Nothing, really. It's just been awhile since we've spoken. He's set on getting back together, but we haven't talked since that kiss." Haley said, shaking her head.

"Well, have you seen him in his games lately? He hasn't been doing the best. Lucas told me that he's been really tired, but he still practices a lot because he isn't getting the playing time he wants." Brooke hummed, shrugging her shoulders.

"That must be killing him." Haley frowned, shaking her head.

"Have you tried calling him?" Brooke asked her, tapping her fingers on her coffee cup.

"I've texted him a couple times." Haley shrugged, looking down. "This is why we broke up in college, I'm just putting that out there right now. Because we didn't have time to talk to each other." She said, sighing.

"I know, honey. You've told me." Brooke laughed, smiling at her. "But I think you should keep trying to get ahold of him. He might need a little Haley James pep talk." She shrugged, "Maybe you should just go there and give him a full body massage so he can relax." She suggested, winking at her.

"Yeah, I don't think so. I don't need more rumors surfacing around. I would like to be asked about my music every once and awhile, rather than about my relationships." Haley chuckled. "But I will keep trying to get ahold of him. Now I'm a little worried."

"Oh, come on. You love people asking about you and Nathan. You want to know why? Because you love Nathan." Brooke hummed, shrugging her shoulders.

"Brooke!" Haley laughed, rolling her eyes. "I love him like a friend. We haven't been together for four years, remember that."

"Oh I know that you're developing all those feelings for him again. I don't have sex with my friends, or even kiss them." Brooke pointed out, shrugging.

"You do sometimes." Haley said, shaking her head.

"Those are specific friends. Friends with Benefits friends, an I don't have any of those at the moment." Brooke laughed.

"Maybe Nathan and I are friends with benefits friends then?" Haley shrugged, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, I don't think so." Brooke responded, winking at her. "I have to go. Call him. Or else the next time I'm in New York, I'll go over there and maybe I can convince him to go back to his high school days, get him drunk, and sleep with me." She hummed, standing up and shaking her head.

"You're so funny." Haley said sarcastically, shaking her head and watching her friend walk out of her home. She checked the time. It was a little after eight, which meant it was about eleven for Nathan, since his game was a home game tonight. Haley let out a deep breath, picking up her phone and calling him.

"Lucas, I told you to stop calling me." Nathan grumbled once he answered the phone, pressing his face into his pillow.

Haley could tell that she had woken him up, sighing softly. "It's Haley." She laughed quietly, shaking her head.

"Oh! Hales... I'm sorry." Nathan mumbled, rubbing his eyes and sitting up. His whole body ached, and he still felt exhausted.

"I heard you could use a little pep talk." Haley hummed, smiling slightly.

"I could use you with me right now, that's what I need." Nathan said softly, letting out a deep breath. "I'm sorry I haven't been answering you. I just haven't really felt like talking to anyone lately." He whispered, rubbing his eyes.

"What's going on, Nathan?" Haley asked him softly, frowning.

"I don't know, I just hit this wall, and no matter how hard I try... I can't get over it. I'm worried they're going to give away my starting position." He said, sighing softly.

"They wouldn't do that, Nathan. You're a great player." She assured him, frowning.

"A great player wouldn't have gotten six turnovers last game, then fouled out in the third quarter." Nathan grumbled, shaking his head.

"Well, exhausting yourself won't do you any good, Nathan. Lucas told me you've been spending a lot of time in the gym. Maybe you should cut back a little bit." She suggested, shaking her head.

"If I lose my starting position... I don't know what I'll do. I worked hard to get there, Haley." Nathan said softly, letting out a deep breath.

"Nathan, don't panic. You won't. You're an amazing player. Why are you doubting yourself?" She asked him.

"If I booked you a plane to New York, would you come?" Nathan asked her, sighing softly.

"Nathan..." Haley trailed off, sighing.

"You're right. Your tour starts soon, and you should stay there." He mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

She frowned, thinking back to her conversation with Brooke. People would definitely talk, but did that really matter? "You know what, I'll come. I won't be able to stay very long." Haley said after a second.

Nathan smiled slightly, "Thank you. I really need you right now." He whispered. "I'll send you the flight information."

"I can pay for my own flight, Nathan." Haley argued.

"No, you're doing me a favor. Don't argue. I'll send it over." He mumbled, hanging up.

And with that, Haley was standing in the New York airport a few hours later. She smiled slightly when she saw Nathan approaching her, rushing to him.

Nathan pulled her into a tight hug, letting out a deep breath and relaxing against her. "Thank you for coming." He said softly.

Haley looked up at him, resting her hands on his cheeks, gently rubbing the dark circles under his eyes. "Are you okay?" She asked him softly.

"I am now." He replied, pulling her into another hug, closing his eyes tightly.

She held him close, gently brushing her fingers over his neck, "What time does you game start?" She asked him softly.

"Seven. I have to be there at six." Nathan whispered, looking at his watch. It was getting close to six, and if her plane would of been late he probably would not have been able to meet her there.

"Well then we better hurry and get you to that game. It's been awhile since I've been to one of your games." Haley hummed, linking her arm through his.

Nathan picked up her suitcase, "You don't have to come. I'll probably suck." He sighed.

She frowned up at him, "Hey. You don't suck, Nathan. You're amazing, and whether your team wins or loses, I want to be there." She said, shrugging.

Nathan nodded his head slowly, looking at her and letting out a deep breath. "Thanks for coming." He said softly, smiling at her.

Haley nodded at him, squeezing his arm softly, "You can always call me, Nathan. Just know that. I'll always be there." She whispered, humming softly.

The Knicks had ended up winning their game, but much to her dismay, as well as his, Nathan hadn't played as much as he'd liked to, but as far as Haley could tell he still did alright, but Nathan had been silent the whole ride back to his penthouse.

He unlocked the door, holding it open for her and letting out a small sigh.

Haley stepped into the house, looking around and raising her eyebrows. It had a beautiful view, and the whole place looked gorgeous, but it hardly contained and furniture at all. "How long have you lived here?" Haley asked him, raising her eyebrows as he turned on the lights.

"About two years." Nathan said, looking around and letting out a deep breath.

"Two years? Nathan, there's like no furniture in here. You have a couch and a TV." She pointed out.

"You haven't seen the rest of the house. I have a fridge, and a table, and a dishwasher, and a washer a dryer. I even have a bed." He chuckled quietly, shrugging.

"How many rooms do you have that are empty?" Haley questioned him, laughing quietly.

"That's not important. I don't need anything besides this stuff." He replied, shaking his head.

"You have this beautiful home, Nathan. And you don't even have furniture in it. You've lived here for two years, and you've never felt the need to fill it with things?" She questioned him, raising her eyebrows.

"It's not like I spend all my time here." Nathan mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

"Well, show me around." Haley chuckled, resting her hand on his back.

"So, I actually don't have a bed in the guest bedroom. I know, I suck. So I figured you can have my room and I will take the couch." He hummed, guiding her into the kitchen.

"How kind, but I think we can manage sharing a bed, as long as you keep your hands to yourself." Haley hummed, looking around the kitchen. "It's beautiful, wow. Why don't you decorate your house a bit more?" She asked him.

"I don't know, Hales. I just haven't felt the need." He grumbled.

"Well, I checked your schedule during the game and you don't have a game for threedays. So tomorrow, instead of exhausting yourself, we are going to go shopping for some furniture." She opened the fridge, raising her eyebrows. "And some groceries."

"Haley, if you want to move in just tell me." Nathan said, smirking at her.

"You're funny." Haley rolled her eyes, nodding at him. "You go take a shower, okay? I'm going to see if I can figure out something for you to eat." She laughed, winking at him.

"You could join me in the shower, then we would figure it out together." Nathan suggested, winking at her.

"Go, Nathan." Haley laughed, shaking her head at him.

"You know you want me, Haley James. You always will." He hummed, hurrying into his room.

He emerged from his room about fifteen minutes later, shirtless, of course.

Haley rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "Okay, Nathan. Your food selection sucks. So you get a sandwich." She laughed, setting the plate in front of him. "What is that odd green drink in there?" She asked, leaning against the counter.

"That's my breakfast, don't make fun of it. It keeps me strong." Nathan chuckled, winking at her.

"It looks terrible." Haley laughed, smiling at him.

"Yeah, whatever. I'll make you dinner tomorrow night to make up for this." He hummed, smiling.

"You cook?" Haley raised her eyebrows.

"I may have been in a cooking class before I dropped out of college. I learned a thing or two. Not much though, but enough to get me by and make you dinner." He hummed, smiling at her.

Haley smiled in return, looking at him. "How're you feeling?" She asked him softly.

"Tired, sore. Ready to stop sucking." He replied, shaking his head and sighing.

"Hey, you had like fifteen points tonight, Nathan. That's good." Haley frowned, walking around and standing behind him, gently resting her hands on his back.

"Yeah, but I shot the ball twice that much, and I had three turnovers and four fouls." He grumbled.

"You played great, Nathan. Don't doubt yourself so much. You won the game, and that's all that matters." She said softly, beginning to massage his shoulders.

Nathan let out a deep breath, leaning forward a little bit. "Are we back together yet?" He asked her softly.

Haley blinked at him, sighing. "You realize we haven't spoken to each other in two weeks, right?" She asked him, focusing her attention on his sore muscles.

"That's my fault, I know. But I won't let it happen again." He said softly, closing his eyes.

"I'm about to go on tour, and we'll see what happens while I'm gone. If we can stay in touch, then we'll talk about getting back together, alright?" She whispered, taking a second to admire the muscles in his back, letting out a deep breath.

"Can we still have sex tonight?" Nathan chuckled, looking over at her.

"Nathan." Haley laughed, wrapping her arms around him and resting her head on his back, closing her eyes and holding onto him tightly.

Nathan leaned back into her, smiling slightly. "Thank you, Haley. For coming." He mumbled.

"You're important to me, Nathan. I'll always be there." She whispered. She hated when he felt upset and broken, like he wasn't good enough. She just wanted to squeeze him so tightly that every piece of him fit together again.

"I love you, Haley James." Nathan said, smirking slightly.

"You're killing me, Nathan." Haley laughed, rubbing his torso softly, resting her cheek on his back.

"I do. Just thought you should know where I'm at in this relationship." He hummed, shrugging his shoulders.

"Well, you should know that I'm at the point where we're just friends. Especially after not talking for two weeks. That is why we broke up, you know." Haley said softly.

"That's why you broke up with me. I was ready to get married and transfer to Stanford if I could." He pointed out, glancing over his shoulder at her.

She let out a deep sigh, closing her eyes and sucking in a deep breath, taking in his familiar scent. "You know that it is January. Most people don't walk around their home shirtless."

"Yeah, well most people don't have a Haley James in their house that they need to impress." He chuckled.

Haley rolled her eyes, gently tracing a design into his back, "Fair enough." She whispered.

"This doesn't feel like a very friendly position, now does it buddy?" Nathan asked her, smirking slightly.

"I can move if you'd like." She responded, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"You better not." He responded, letting out a deep breath.

"So what happened? Why did you hit this wall?" Haley asked him softly.

"I don't know." Nathan mumbled, looking down at his now empty plate, shaking his head.

"I know when you're lying to me, Nathan Scott." She chuckled, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Dan visited me on New Years Day. I hate him. I don't know why I let him get to me so much." He grumbled, gripping the counter top.

Haley stayed quiet for a second, feeling his whole body tense up. She hugged him tighter, "What did he do?" She asked him softly once he'd relaxed a little bit.

"He just messes with my head, Haley! The man shot his own brother, I shouldn't give a damn about anything he says to me ever, and I don't do it on purpose. I hate him." He snapped, hitting his fist against the counter top, letting out a deep breath.

Haley looked at him, sighing softly. "You don't need to listen to him, Nathan. Whatever he said to you that has you so shaken up, it's not true." She whispered, biting her lip softly. "You're an amazing man, and you have such a kind her." She said softly to him, noting the fact that he was shaking slightly. Haley gently rubbed her hands down his arms, "Come on." She whispered, grabbing his hand.

Nathan followed her into his bedroom, sitting down on the bed when she instructed him to. "What are we doing?" He asked her softly, raising his eyebrows.

Haley picked up the TV remote, turning it on and finding the recording of his game from earlier that night.

"I don't want to watch this right now, Haley." Nathan said, shaking his head.

"We're not watching it, Nathan. I want you to delete it." She said, handing him the remote. "You shouldn't feel like this. You should be proud of yourself, Nathan. You made your dreams come true." She whispered, running her fingers through his hair. "I know that I'm proud of you."

He looked down at the remote, letting out a small sigh and deleting the recording slowly.

"There you go. Now delete every game from the past two weeks. You are amazing at basketball. Watching you living your dream makes me happier than you'll ever know." Haley said softly, hugging him tightly.

Nathan nodded his head slowly, looking up at her. "Thank you." He whispered, beginning to delete the other games. After a few minutes, he tossed the remote to the side and pulled Haley down into his lap. "You and Lucas used to make predictions at the beginning of every year, right?" He asked her softly.

Haley raised her eyebrows, nodding her head slowly. "Yeah... Why?" She asked him.

"Because I'm making one right now, and I'm going to tell you what it is, so you can be ready." Nathan chuckled, smirking at her.

"Alright?" Haley questioned, looking up at him and shrugging.

"By this time next year, you and I will be married, or at least engaged." He said, smirking slightly.

She looked at him with wide eyes, "That's a big prediction." She said softly.

"Yeah, but I'm about 99% sure it will come true. I'm willing to bet on it, if you'd like." He chuckled, winking at her.

Haley pushed him back so he was laying down, straddling his legs. She held her hand out, smirking slightly. "You're on, Scott." She chucked.

Nathan grabbed her hand, shaking it for a second, before pulling her down to him, kissing her quickly.


	11. Chapter 11

**Finding The Way Back**

 **Chapter 11**

Haley woke up with her face pressed in Nathan's chest, a small smile playing at her lips. She could get used to this. This whole situation was getting more difficult as the days went on. She felt so relaxed in his arms, but the silence she had received from him the past two weeks worried her. She smiled slightly, her fingers tracing his defined stomach muscles, while she began to pepper kisses all over his chest.

"What are you doing?" Nathan chuckled, opening one eye and looking down at her.

Haley smiled at him, shrugging her shoulders, sucking on his skin lightly.

Within seconds, Nathan had her on her back, and was hovering over her. "Dangerous game to wake a guy up to, Haley James." He chuckled, smirking at her. "Especially if you only consider me to be your friend." He hummed out.

Haley rolled her eyes, tangling her fingers in the thick hair on the back of his head, pulling his face down to hers. "Oh, Nathan." She chuckled, kissing him lightly. "You're right, maybe we should just get up."

He shook his head, "Mm... No." He decided, lowering his head, sucking on her neck lightly.

"You better not leave any marks that will be seen, Nathan Scott." She mumbled, knowing it was probably no use.

"Who cares, Haley? People already know we're dating." He mumbled, winking at her.

"We aren't, though." Haley protested, tilting her head back a bit.

"Oh right, sorry. I forgot. Buddy." Nathan said, smirking at her. He stood up after a second, looking down at her.

"Where are you going?" Haley asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"I was wondering if you wanted to join me in the shower? But maybe since we're good friends, we shouldn't." He suggested, chuckling.

She rolled her eyes, "Oh shut up, Nathan." She laughed, sitting up.

He picked her up quickly, "I thought so." He hummed, rushing into the bathroom.

Nathan watched as Haley talked about one of the lamps she was looking at, pointing at specific things for him to look at as well, but he wasn't really listening to anything she was saying. "You're beautiful." He said, smiling at her.

"Nathan, we're picking out furniture for you. So pay attention." Haley laughed, poking his chest softly.

"Whatever you want, Haley. It's your house too." He said, smirking at her.

She rolled her eyes, "No, Nathan. It's not. It's your house." She said, shaking her head.

"Whatever, Haley. Whatever. If it's my house, and we aren't dating, can I go hit on that girl over there?" He asked, gesturing at some blonde chick that was standing a little ways away from them, but kept glancing over in his direction.

Haley raised her eyebrows, sighing softly. "Nathan, come on. Let's just pick out some furniture." She grumbled, turning back towards the lamp. "I think this would look really nice in your house."

"Done. Anything you want, Haley James. When can I expect your stuff to be moved over?" He asked her.

"Nathan, I'm not moving here. I like California." Haley said, sighing softly. "And it's not whatever I want, I'm simply here to help you. Not make the decisions for you."

"Fine, we can live in California during the off-season, and I'll just fly back here when I need to be here." Nathan hummed, shrugging.

"You. Are. Killing. Me." She grumbled, rubbing her head. "Do you like the lamp, or not?" She asked, looking over her shoulder to find that the blonde girl had walked over, and was now talking to Nathan.

"You're Nathan Scott, right?" She asked.

"I think so." Nathan chuckled, shrugging his shoulders.

"My dad and brothers are huge Knicks fans, and they would freak out if they knew I met you. Do you think I can get a picture?" She asked him, her hand resting on his bicep.

"Absolutely!" Nathan replied, smiling at her and nodding. "Hales, do you think you can take a picture?" He asked her.

Haley let out a deep breath, nodding her head and taking the girl's phone.

They took a few pictures, the last one the girl stood on her toes and kissed Nathan's cheek, while Nathan smirked slightly.

"Thank you so much. Now just for my benefit, can I get a picture with both of you?" She laughed, shrugging slightly.

Nathan and Haley looked at each other, nodding slowly. They posed for a picture, before the girl went on her way.

"Hm." Haley frowned, looking up at Nathan. She licked her thumb, wiping the lipstick off of his cheek.

Nathan raised his eyebrows, chuckling quietly. "Alright, go on ahead and do that." He laughed, smiling at her.

"Quiet you." She said, turning back to the lamp. "I just didn't want people to think it was mine."

"Right. Okay." Nathan said, smirking slightly. "So, I forgot. When are you moving in again?" He asked her.

Haley let out a deep sigh, turning to look at him again. "Do you think if you just say it over and over I'll finally give in?" She asked him.

"That was the idea." He replied, resting his hand on her back. "But anyways. Let's get the lamp, then we can go pick out more stuff for our house." He chuckled, looking around to make sure no one was watching, before kissing her cheek quickly. "Maybe we can test out the beds next."

"We spent enough time in your bed to know that it's nice. Very, very comfortable." She hummed.

"And the comforter looks nice with the color the walls are, so maybe you can impress the ladies with that."

"There's only one girl I'll be trying to impress for the rest of my life, and it's you. That's why I'm letting you pick everything out, because eventually it will be our house. Unless you refuse to move here, then I will have to take measures into my own hands and move to you." He shrugged, following her over to some rugs.

"What do you mean by that?" Haley asked, frowning at him.

"Well maybe I could transfer teams, maybe I could retire." He said, shrugging his shoulders.

She looked at him, scowling and smacking his arm softly. "You better not give up basketball for me, Nathan."

"I'd do anything for you, Haley. Anything." He said, shrugging his shoulders.

"I don't want you to do that." She protested, shaking her head. "I feel like this is moving kind of fast. We aren't even dating."

"Do you really think it's moving fast?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

No, she didn't. Honestly, they really hadn't changed that much, and she could feel them moving back into their old groove. But the thought of him giving up his dream to be with her scared the hell out of her. She let out a deep sigh, looking over at him. "No, but we aren't even in a relationship right now, so you can't say things like that."

"I'm already saying them. I don't care." Nathan said, smirking slightly. "I like this one." He said, pointing at a rug.

"That's the one I was thinking too." Haley said softly, looking at it and letting out a deep breath.

"Perfect. Let's get it." He hummed, before following over to the next thing.

Haley looked down at her phone, letting out a small sigh when she saw that it was Brooke calling her. "I'll be right back. Look at these end tables to see what you like." She hummed, stepping away from him.

"Hello?" Haley asked into the phone, raising her eyebrows.

"I see you took my advice. I saw some steamy pictures of you in the airport, then some of you at his game last night. How did he do?" Brooke laughed into the phone.

"He did fine. He would disagree with me, but I think he did well." Haley said, sighing softly.

"So, did he score after the game?" Brooke asked her, smirking slightly.

"I think you already know the answer to that." Haley said, laughing quietly.

"I didn't intrude on the morning session, did I?" Brooke laughed.

"No, we're furniture shopping." Haley said, looking around, raising her eyebrows when she didn't see Nathan where she'd left him.

"Furniture shopping?" Brooke questioned.

"Have you ever been in his house?" Haley asked her, shrugging.

"Not since he moved in, no." Brooke hummed.

"It's empty. I should've had you come with us. You have good taste." Haley said, shrugging slightly.

"So you're already moving in? Didn't you just get back together?" Brooke asked, raising her eyebrows.

"No, I'm not moving in. And we aren't dating, Brooke." Haley sighed, trying to see if she could find Nathan.

"You flew across the country for him, Haley. That poor guy must be heartbroken when you say things like that to him." Brooke laughed.

"He's fine, Brooke. I told him that if we can stay in touch throughout my tour, once I get back we can talk about it." Haley said, letting out a deep breath.

"Honey, you're furniture shopping with him. Plus, when you two are around each other you turn into horny teenagers and can't keep your pants on. Why can't you just date him? He won't be around forever, you know." Brooke hummed softly, sighing.

"Brooke, I know that. Look, I have to go alright? I'll call you later." Haley sighed, hanging up after her friend said goodbye. She let out a deep breath, beginning to look for Nathan.

Haley scowled when she found him. He was sitting on one of the beds, talking to a girl who must've worked there. She stood back for a second, watching his every move.

"Yeah, this one feels pretty comfortable. You should see the bed I have at home, though. It's like sleeping on a cloud. Amazing. I can't remember where I bought it through." Nathan chuckled, shrugging his shoulders, leaning back a little bit when the girl moved closer to him.

"If your bed is so nice, why are you looking for a new one? Did you break the last one?" She asked, smirking at him.

"Uh, no. I'm looking for my guest bedroom." He said, wiping his hands on his jeans, letting out a deep breath.

Haley shook her head, walking over to them. "Hey." She hummed, smiling at him.

Nathan jumped up to his feet, "Hey, you." He grinned, moving to stand a bit behind Haley, resting his hand on her shoulder.

"You're Haley James!" The girl said, looking up at her with wide eyes. "What are you doing here? With Nathan Scott?"

"Furniture shopping." Haley said, nodding at her.

"Oh right, dumb question. Let me know if you two need anything. Just so you know, this is a great bed." She replied, smirking slightly, before hurrying away.

"I leave you alone for one minute, and you find your way to the bed section and find someone to flirt with." Haley said, turning around a looking at him.

"I think you scared her away. Jealous?" Nathan asked her, smirking slightly.

Haley pushed him softly, looking down at the bed and sighing.

"I'm sorry. I was waiting for you to come back so I could make a stupid and cheeky comment, but she came and started talking to me." He said, pulling her into a quick side hug.

Haley let out a deep breath, "Let's just finish." She said, sending him a small smile, linking her arm with his.

Nathan looked at her, frowning slightly. "Are you mad at me?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

Haley looked up at him, chuckling quietly. "No, Nathan. I'm not. Don't worry about it." She said, nodding at him. "I'm just a bit tired."

He smirked slightly, winking at her. "Sorry." He chuckled, "There is a bed right here, if you want to take a nap."

She rolled her eyes, "Let's just finish this up so we can leave."

After a couple more hours of finding furniture, a bunch of Nathan's complaining, and a couple more hours of moving the furniture up to Nathan's home with a lot of help, they were relaxing on the couch, Haley's head rested on Nathan's chest.

"Your home is beautiful, Nathan." She said softly, tracing his name on his stomach with her finger.

"You're beautiful." Nathan replied with closed eyes, smiling slightly.

"Thank you." She mumbled, turning her head a bit and kissing his chest lightly. "And you have a great view of the city."

"I have an even better view right now." He hummed, blinking his eyes open and looking down at her.

Haley smiled, letting out a deep breath. "It looks much more home-y with the furniture, doesn't it?" She chuckled, poking him softly.

"You were right. It looks better, but I don't think that's what's making me feel at home." Nathan hummed, rubbing her shoulder softly.

"You're good at that." Haley chuckled, looking up at him.

"Good at what?" He questioned, raising his eyebrows.

"Being all charming and flirty." She said, tugging on his shirt lightly.

"That's just natural, baby. If you'd like, I can try and turn it off." He laughed, smirking at her.

Haley rolled her eyes, smiling up at him. "I've missed you, Nathan. A lot. You're good company."

"Just good company?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Fine, great company." She laughed, nuzzling her nose into his shoulder.

"Am I great company like Brooke, or great company in my own special way?" Nathan asked her, looking down at her.

Haley rested her hand on his cheek, gently brushing her thumb over the stubble there. "You are one of a kind." She said softly, sitting up a bit, resting her forehead against his.

Nathan let out a deep breath, closing his eyes, "Is this going to go somewhere, Haley? I hate to be a downer, because I have a lot of fun with you and I think you're amazing company. But I just have to know if this is going to end up in happiness or heartbreak." He whispered, resting his hands on her sides.

Haley looked at him, smiling slightly. She pulled his head down a bit, kissing his forehead. "I want to wait until my tour is over, okay? But I have a good feeling about this, Nathan. I really do." She whispered.

"I don't mind waiting for you, Haley. I understand that we're both busy... I just don't want to have to go through losing you again." He said softly.

Haley looked at him, before moving so she was straddling his lap, taking his face in her hands.

"I'm here, Nathan." She said softly, resting her forehead against his.

Nathan's arms snaked around her waist, gently pushing her shirt up a bit, tracing his fingers over her '23' tattoo. "I love you." He whispered.

Haley smiled at him, kissing him softly. "I'm so glad that I bid on you, Nathan. Totally worth five thousand dollars." She hummed, winking at him.

"I'm glad I'm living up to the expectations." He replied, pulling her close to him.

Haley smiled, guiding his face to hers, kissing him quickly. She ran her fingers through his dark hair, massaging his scalp softly.

Nathan hummed quietly against her lips, pushing her shirt up a bit more, rubbing the exposed skin on her back.

Haley moved so she was sitting up on her knees, her hands tugging on Nathan's t-shirt lightly, breaking their kiss for a moment, looking down at him.

Nathan quickly pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it across the room and looking at her expectantly.

She laughed quietly, removing her shirt as well and throwing it in the direction he threw his.

"You're beautiful." He whispered, pulling her closer, beginning to kiss down her neck.

Haley tilted her head back, her eyes squeezing shut. She let out a deep breath, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her.

Nathan looked up when his phone started ringing, sighing softly and shaking his head. "I'm not answering it." He mumbled, pulling her closer to him, letting it go to voicemail.

After a minute of silence, it started ringing again.

Haley let out a small sigh, "You better get that." She mumbled, climbing off of him and walking to the counter, picking up his phone and handing it to him. "It's Clay."

"Dammit." Nathan grumbled, rubbing his eyes and answering the phone. "What do you need, Clayton?" He asked, shaking his head.

"Yikes. Miss James must be keeping you busy, I suppose." Clay laughed into the phone. "Can I say hello?"

"No. What do you want?" Nathan asked, sighing softly.

"Oh, I was just checking in. You had another rough game last night. I tried calling you but you didn't answer. How're you doing? I'm sure Haley is making it better." Clay laughed, smirking slightly.

"Clay, I'm a little busy at the moment. Trying to sex up my girl." Nathan said, smirking when Haley hit his chest softly.

"Is she your girl? Officially? Come on, Nate. You haven't been telling me what I want to know about her. I live for the gossip of your life. You brought back Psycho Carrie to make her jealous, which shows me you aren't thinking when it comes to her." Clay hummed.

"Haley says no, but I say yes." Nathan chuckled, winking at Haley, pulling her down into his lap, wrapping his arm around her.

"So then it's a no. Tough break, man. She'll get there. I mean, she dated you for awhile before and somehow managed to put up with you." Clay teased him, laughing quietly.

"How did you know that she was with me?" Nathan questioned him.

"Dude, you're both public figures. The moment she landed in the airport, people were taking pictures of you two. People are getting suspicious. I figured you would tell me if it was official. I'm still your best friend, aren't I?" Clay asked him.

"Yes, Clay. I would tell you. But be prepared, because the second she comes back from tour, I'm making this girl mine." Nathan smirked, winking at Haley and pulling her closer to him.

"Good luck with that. She'll be on tour, meeting tons of new people, maybe some nice guys are out there thinking the same thing." Clay joked, shaking his head.

"Clay, I could beat your ass right now. But I have a feeling I don't need to worry." Nathan hummed, kissing Haley's head softly.

"I'm just kidding, don't worry. What are your plans for tonight?" Clay asked him, humming quietly.

"I'm going to make her dinner." Nathan informed him, smiling at Haley.

"Put me on speaker phone." Clay laughed, smirking slightly.

Nathan sighed softly, doing as his agent asked, leaning back into the couch. "Okay, Clay."

"Haley, watch over his shoulder while he's cooking. He goes crazy with the garlic. And last time I let him cook for me, I'm pretty sure he tried to poison me, so watch out for that too." Clay laughed.

"I don't go crazy with the garlic, and I was trying to poison you. Too bad it didn't work." Nathan grumbled, kissing Haley's bare shoulder.

"Thanks for the advice, Clay. Something tells me that Nathan won't be trying to poison me." Haley laughed, leaning into Nathan.

"You interrupted us, Clay. So don't call back." Nathan laughed, hanging up the phone. "Now where were we?" He hummed, trailing his fingers up her arm.

"You were just about to make me dinner." Haley replied, standing up and picking up her shirt, putting it back on.

"That's mean." He laughed, standing up and wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her into a tight hug.

Haley felt herself melt into him, her face pressing into his shoulder, pressing a soft kiss onto his bare skin. "Yeah, but Clay reminded me that I'm hungry." She hummed, closing her eyes.

"I guess I can wait. We'll just have to skip the ice cream and go straight to the real dessert." He smirked down at her, kissing her head.

Haley laughed quietly, rolling her eyes. "Mhm." She hummed, rubbing his back lightly, before moving away from him. "Get cookin' Scott." She laughed, winking up at him.

After a little while, they were sitting at Nathan's table, having just finished dinner.

"That was actually pretty good, Nathan." Haley hummed, smiling up and him and nodding.

"That's what she said." Nathan replied, smirking slightly. "That's what they all say." He shrugged, winking at her.

"You think you're funny?" Haley laughed, rolling her eyes.

"I know that I am, Haley James." He hummed out, tapping his fingers on the table. "So, when do you leave for tour?" He asked her softly.

"Next week." Haley said, looking at him and shrugging her shoulders.

"Oh. So this is probably the last time I'll see you until it starts. How long are you gone?" Nathan asked, running his fingers through his hair.

"About two months." Haley replied, reaching over and grabbing his hand. "But I have a show in New York on February 2nd." She said, smiling at him.

He pulled out his phone, checking his schedule, his face falling. "Away game. I'll be in San Antonio that day." He said, sighing softly.

"Well, maybe you can see another show. Keep an eye out, okay?" Haley said, kissing his hand softly.

"And you're leaving tomorrow, huh?" He asked her softly, letting out a deep sigh.

"I have to. I probably shouldn't of even come, but I could tell you needed a pick me up." She replied, frowning slightly. She moved over quickly, sitting down in his lap, gently brushing her fingers through his hair. "But hey, it's alright. You're going to be okay without me for a little while. You managed to make it four years without me."

"Yeah, but now I don't want to." Nathan sighed, looking up at her. He kissed her cheek softly, shaking his head.

"There's phone calls, and video chat. And maybe one day our schedules will match up and we'll both be in the same town at the same time." Haley laughed, shrugging her shoulders. "Just think, the sooner this tour is over, the sooner we can decide if this is something we're going to do again."

"Well then I guess I better make this last night memorable. Now tell me, Haley James... How much sleep do you need to function properly?"


	12. Chapter 12

**Finding The Way Back**

 **Chapter 12**

Haley noticed him right from the start of her concert. He was laying low, or at least he was trying to. He was wearing a hat, and kept his head down while the lights were bright so people wouldn't notice him, but she did. It had been a month since she'd seen him, and thought he fulfilled his promise in talking to her all the time; seeing him made her heart race. After going over their schedules several times, they had found that they were never in the same state at the same time, which had made things hard. But here Nathan was, standing in a crowd full of people, doing his best not to draw attention to himself. After he'd told her that he wouldn't be able to make it to any of her shows, he was there standing in the crowd, smirking up at her the whole entire time.

Nathan couldn't wait to meet up with her after the concert. She looked amazing all of the time, but when she was on stage performing she looked so carefree and happy. About half way through the concert, she texted him when she ran off to change and told him to meet her backstage and that security would let him through. He decided to go back during the encore, just so he could see her before anyone else had the opportunity to go backstage. He watched her as she performed her last song, smiling brightly. She was so beautiful, and half way through the song, Haley had glanced in his direction and winked at him, making him weak in the knees. He was so head over heels in love with her, and all he wanted to do at the moment was show her exactly how much he loved her. The distance had been hard, but they'd done a good job at staying in touch, and thankfully he had been able to find the time to come see at least one of her shows. She still had another month left on tour, and it was going to be hard but they would find a way to manage.

As soon as she said goodnight to the crowd, Haley had rushed off the stage in a hurry, literally throwing herself at Nathan, hugging him tightly. "What the hell are you doing here?" She breathed out, pressing her face into his shoulder, closing her eyes tightly.

He laughed loudly as his hat was knocked off his head, his arms winding around her waist. "I missed my girl." Nathan said softly, pressing his face into her hair, sucking in a deep breath.

"Yeah, well she missed you too." Haley whispered, looking up at him and pulling him into a deep kiss, not really caring who was watching at the moment.

He smiled against her lips, pulling her closer to him. "I can't wait to have you all to myself." He whispered, kissing her again.

Her fingernails gently scratched along the back of his neck, pulling him closer. She dipped her fingers under his shirt collar, humming against his mouth in response.

After a minute, someone behind Nathan cleared his throat, causing them to jump away from each other slightly.

"Andrew. Hey." Haley breathed out, brushing her fingers through her hair and sighing softly.

"Well, this wasn't what I was expecting to find. Good thing I didn't bring my kids with me to come talk to you." Andrew said, smirking slightly.

Haley looked at Nathan, "Uh, Nathan. You remember my brother Andrew. Andrew, Nathan." She said softly, gesturing between the two.

"Oh right! The jackass basketball player that took my baby sister's virginity and made her change her whole thing about waiting until marriage thing. That would be you, correct?" Andrew asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Andrew!" Haley scowled, shaking her head at him and rolling her eyes.

"I'm surprised that's what you remember. You couldn't have forgotten that I'm the one you punched in the face after I schooled your ass at football one Thanksgiving." Nathan replied, draping his arm around Haley's shoulders and holding his hand out to Andrew.

Andrew rolled his eyes, shaking Nathan's hand. "I would hardly call it 'schooling' me. You won, but not by much. And you deserved the punch in the face. Spent the whole day making annoying remarks about it."

"Five touchdowns, but it's nothing." Nathan smirked, looking at Haley and smiling brightly.

Haley rolled her eyes, "I was so mad at you for that, Andrew." She sighed, leaning into Nathan for a second.

"So, Haley. Let me know when you're ready to go, unless you've made other sleeping arrangements." Andrew said, winking at them. "Of course, my kids will be disappointed. Especially after watching you rock that show."

"Well... I..." She sighed, looking up at Nathan. "No, that's fine. I'll let you know when I'm ready to leave. I might have to being Nathan along with me."

Nathan frowned slightly, his arm tightening around Haley's shoulders, glancing down at her and sighing softly.

"Woah! Don't want to hear that at all. I'm just messing with you. Go ahead and be with each other. We'll see you at Dad's birthday party though, right?" Andrew said, smiling and nodding at her.

"Yeah, of course. I'll be there. Let me come say goodbye to your kids." She said, smiling and turning her attention to Nathan. "Nathan, why don't you go in my dressing room? I have to go talk to my brother's family, then I have a small meet and greet. So I might be a little while. But not too long." Haley hummed, playing with the zipper on his jacket, nodding.

Nathan smiled at her, kissing her forehead. "Alright. I'll just find my way there. Come get me when you're ready to go, please don't leave me in there all night." He laughed, nodding at Andrew. "It was sort of good to see you again, man. As long as your fist stays away from my face we end on a high note." He grinned, patting him on the back, before heading away.

Andrew looked at Haley, raising his eyebrows. "So, the rumors going around are true?"

Haley looked at him, sighing softly. "Nothing official has happened, so no. We're waiting until the tour is over before we decide anything." She hummed.

"Well, is that how you greet all of your friends? Because I might need to have a talk with Brandon and Jason about this." He laughed, smirking.

"Come on, Andrew. We're going to get back together, I mean... We practically are. It's just difficult with our schedules." She said, shaking her head.

"Hey, no judgement here. You know that we all like Nathan." Andrew assured her, smiling.

"I'm glad to hear it. Can you just... Keep this on the down low? I don't want everyone else to find out just yet. You know Taylor, she'll have to say something about it." Haley asked him, glancing over at him.

"Yeah, I won't say anything. Now let's go see my kids because they need to go to bed." Andrew hummed, slinging his arm around her.

Haley walked into her dressing room after about an hour and half, finding Nathan asleep on the couch. She smiled slightly, kneeling down in front of him, gently tracing her finger over his jaw. "Nathan." She whispered, kissing his forehead softly, gently brushing her fingers through his hair.

Nathan blinked his eyes open, looking up at her. "Mm, I wish I could wake up to that beautiful face after every nap I take." He laughed, sitting up slowly.

"Yeah? Well I'd like to see that face every day." Haley smiled, kissing him softly. "What made you decide to come to this show?" She asked, sitting down next to him.

"I could handle being away from you any longer." He said softly, smiling at her. "We had two days off, so I decided to come see what all the hype was about. And it was worth it, because damn you're sexy on stage." He hummed, smirking slightly.

"Well, it's pretty nice to watch you on a basketball court too." She responded, resting her hand on his cheek, winking at him. "When I saw you in the crowd, my heart started racing."

"That's called love, Haley James. I felt it too. You want to know why? Because I'm totally in love with you." Nathan hummed, kissing her softly.

Haley smiled at him, standing up. "Alright, you. Let's get back to your hotel room. I have to be on a tour bus by eight tomorrow morning. The good news is, I can sleep the whole drive, which means I can stay up all night with you."

"Well, I like the sound of that." He replied, standing up and kissing her quickly. "Maybe we can bring your guitar and you can give me another concert."

"Oh, baby. That is not the kind of concert I was thinking of." Haley hummed, letting out a deep breath.

"Haley James." Nathan smirked, grabbing onto her hand. "Do you have everything you need?" He asked, looking down at her.

"Everything I need right now is right in front of me, so yes." She whispered, kissing him softly. "Well, no. But give me a few minutes." She laughed, rubbing her hands over his chest. "You can call a car, if you'd like."

The two of the laid in bed a few hours later, Haley's head resting on Nathan's chest, her hand tracing light designs into his stomach.

"You are my world, Haley James." Nathan whispered to her, his arms tightening around her.

Haley smiled, looking up at him. "The way you're looking at me right now is killing me, Nathan." She whispered.

He grinned down at her, nuzzling his nose into her hair. "I can't believe I decided to come to the show in the town your brother lives in. He must have just moved here?"

"It's been a couple years, but yeah." Haley hummed, kissing his chest lightly.

"Did I ruin you, Haley James?" He asked her after a moment of silence, looking down at her.

She raised her eyebrows, "What do you mean?" She asked him softly.

"Your brother said I changed your views on waiting until marriage. Which I guess I sort of did, but I didn't pressure you too much, did I?" Nathan asked her, brushing his finger tips over the tattoo on the small of her back.

"Nathan, no. He doesn't even know what he's talking about. I loved you so much, I really did. You were so patient with me, and so I decided that you were the one. You didn't pressure me or anything." She said softly, lifting her head up and looking at him, kissing him lightly.

He let out a small sigh of relief, "I'm sorry." He mumbled, closing his eyes.

Haley kissed him again, brushing her fingers through his dark hair, "Don't apologize to me, Nathan. You know that it's been nearly eight years since it happened, and it wasn't a random thing. I thought long and hard about it, so don't go beating yourself up over one stupid comment my idiot brother made. He makes a lot of them." She laughed, nuzzling her nose into his chin.

Nathan looked at her, smiling slightly. "You're so beautiful." He hummed, winking at her.

"Right back at you." Haley laughed, gently nipping at his ear.

"I'm so in love with you." He whispered, pulling her closer to him.

She smiled slightly, tracing the muscles in his stomach lightly with her finger, cuddling closer to him. "I've missed you a lot. No one else is quite as nice to cuddle with as you are." She joked.

"Oh come on, Hales. I tell you I love you then you come back with a joke about other guys? Uncool, baby. Uncool." Nathan laughed, kissing her forehead.

Haley smiled up at him, kissing him quickly, holding onto him tighter. "I just know that once I say it back, I won't be able to stop myself from telling everyone, which isn't a bad thing... I just can't deal with the heartache of missing you more than I already do. And I know this isn't fair to you, Nathan. I know that, and I'm sorry but this is the way I need it to be." She said, sighing softly.

"I know, Hales. I get it. I told you that we could wait, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to tell you how much you mean to me. Because I never want to leave, ever. Next year, do a tour in the months that I can come with you." He hummed, nodding at her.

Haley lifted up her head, "I'll make sure to take you into consideration. Especially since according to you, we'll be married by next year." She hummed, kissing his chest lightly.

"We will be." Nathan responded, pulling her closer to him.

"We technically aren't even in a relationship right now, yet we'll be married by next year?" She laughed, raising her eyebrows.

"I'd marry you tonight." Nathan shrugged, looking down at her.

"Haha. Very funny, you say that now but..." She trailed off, her eyes meeting his. The look in his eyes shook her to her core. He was dead serious. There wasn't a glimmer of joking in his eyes, nothing. "Wow." She breathed out.

"I would, Haley." He said again, shrugging his shoulders slightly.

"I believe you." She whispered, sitting up a little bit.

"But I want to do it the right way. Just know where I'm at. I'm all into this relationship." He hummed, sitting up as well.

"You must think I'm scared of commitment." Haley sighed, brushing her fingers through her hair.

"No. I just think you want to make sure that we can work out schedules into this." He hummed, leaning back against the headboard.

Haley looked at him, letting out a deep breath. "Good. Because I really do want this to be something, Nathan. I want what you want, but I just need to make sure that we can do it."

"When we were dating, I loved you so much. But I don't know... That love I felt for you feels so small compared to what I'm feeling right now. I guess I know what it's like to live without you in my life. I never felt as complete as I do right now when we were apart. For four years, my life was incomplete. Now that you're back, I sure as hell am not letting you go again." Nathan whispered, hugging her tightly to him.

Haley looked at him, letting out a deep breath. "You're making this more difficult that I thought."

"Just say it once, I won't tell if you won't." He whispered, resting his forehead on hers.

She smiled slightly, kissing him softly. "I can't say it, it will make it harder to leave you in the morning."

"Just say it." Nathan said, closing his eyes.

"I love you." Haley whispered, her hand moving up to stroke his cheek softly.

Nathan smiled brightly, moving flipping them so she was laying on her back, hovering over her. "I love you." He hummed, kissing her briefly. "I love you so much."

"Now it's going to hurt like hell to leave tomorrow." Haley sighed, looking up at him.

"Yeah, it will. But say it just one more time, and then I'm going to rock your world all night long." Nathan hummed, smirking slightly.

Haley laughed quietly, looking up at him. "I love you."


	13. Chapter 13

**Finding The Way Back**

 **Chapter 13**

Nathan stood in the airport, waiting for Haley to come pick him up. They hadn't had a chance to see each other since she'd gotten home from tour, but she invited him to her Jimmy James' birthday party. Which also happened to be very convenient timing, because he had a game in Charlotte the day before his birthday. He tapped his hands on his legs, letting out a deep breath.

"Nathan Scott?" A voice asked behind him, tapping him on the shoulder.

Nathan turned quickly, to see Haley's older sister Quinn. "Quinn James! It's been awhile." He laughed. "Where's your husband?"

"He couldn't make it. What are you doing here?" Quinn asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"Haley didn't tell you?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Tell me what?" She asked, looking up to see Haley hurrying towards them.

Haley rushed towards Nathan when she saw him, hugging him tightly, jumping up and wrapping her legs around his waist. "I missed you." She whispered, holding onto him tightly, resting her forehead on his.

Nathan pulled her closer to him, Quinn long forgotten as he closed his eyes, taking in Haley's familiar perfume, letting out a breath of relief. "I missed you so much more than you missed me." He said softly.

"You think?" Haley laughed, smiling brightly at him, nudging her nose against his.

"Well it's nice to know where I stand." Quinn laughed, looking at them.

Haley looked towards Quinn, letting go of Nathan, hurrying to her quickly. "Quinn! I didn't even see you there." She said, hugging her tightly.

"Hey Rockstar! Looks like the endless rumors about the two of you are true." Quinn said, winking at them.

Haley laughed quietly, looking over at Nathan. "Where's David?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

"He couldn't make it. A work thing. Nathan can take his place though. Unless he's here for Taylor?" Quinn said, smirking slightly.

"Very funny." Haley said sarcastically. "Well, looks like you're both here. So let's get back home, yeah?"

"So... I hate to be nosey, but you two have been denying the rumors about you... Why?" Quinn asked them curiously.

Haley laughed quietly, shaking her head. "Don't stick your nose in other people's business, Quinn." She said, smiling at her.

"It's too late, I was just seeing what I could get out of you. Andrew texted everyone and told them what he's seen, and what happened." Quinn informed her, smirking slightly. "Last time I checked, your tour was over. So go give your man a kiss."

Nathan smirked, looking at Haley and raising his eyebrows.

Haley shook her head, chuckling quietly. "Come on, you two. Or else I'll leave you at the airport." She hummed, guiding them out to the car.

"So did everyone know Nathan was coming but me?" Quinn asked once they pulled into the driveway, humming quietly.

"I actually didn't tell anyone. Probably not a smart move on my part, but I've just spend two months on a bus and haven't been thinking straight since I got home two days ago and saw my bed. I miss it already." Haley laughed, smiling over at Nathan. "They'll be fine. I'm sure they were expecting it, since Andrew can't keep his mouth shut." She said, getting out of the car after Nathan opened her door, then Quinn's.

"Fancy. How do you train him to do that?" Quinn laughed, smiling at Nathan.

"He just does it." Haley hummed, wrapping her arm around Nathan's waist, pulling him into her side.

"That's convenient." Quinn said, nodding at Nathan. "So, is Haley better in concert? Or is the after show better? I've tried to ask Chris Keller that, but he says he won't tell. Which I'm guessing is code for he doesn't know."

"He doesn't know." Haley said quickly, tightening her arm around Nathan. "And don't answer her question. Or any of the questions my siblings ask you, for that matter." She said.

Nathan raised his eyebrows, chuckling quietly, letting Haley lead him into the house.

"Mom? Dad?" Haley called out, looking around.

"Haley? I'm hoping you remembered Quinn. You didn't just go get ice cream again this time, did you?" Her mother called out from the living room.

"Lydia! Both will make us happy so it doesn't matter." Jimmy replied, laughing quietly.

"Very funny you two. I brought Quinn. And I also brought you a little surprise." She said, letting out a deep breath, motioning for Quinn to go into the living room.

"Oh, I hope it's ice cream." Jimmy laughed, shaking his head.

Quinn smiled, walking into the living room and hugging both of her parents quickly. "I missed you two. David couldn't make it, I'm sorry." She said, smiling slightly.

"What a shame. We missed both of you, but you a little more than him." Lydia said, nodding at her. "Where's Haley Bob?"

Haley let out a deep breath, looking at Nathan and nodding slowly. "Okay, okay. I don't know why I'm nervous, but I am. It's fine."

"Hales, I've met your family before." He chuckled, kissing her forehead.

She nodded her head, grabbing his hand and guiding him into the living room. "Surprise?" Haley said, shrugging slightly.

Lydia grinned at him, "Nathan Scott! Oh I was so hoping to see your face around us again. It's been too long." She smiled, hugging him and kissing his cheek softly.

"It's good to see you, Nate! You look bigger now. Probably can take down all my boys at the same time." Jimmy laughed, hugging Nathan after Lydia.

Nathan smiled at them, "It's great to see both of you. You're right, it's been way too long." He said, nodding his head. "We'll have to go play a game of golf or something while I'm here."

"Be careful with him, Nathan. He's fragile but he thinks he's as tough as you are." Lydia laughed, squeezing Nathan's bicep.

"Mom, please. Stop feeling up Nathan." Haley laughed, shaking her head and looking at him, smiling slightly.

"Oh, Haley shush. I haven't seen the boy in four years, I'm just admiring him. He looks so much better than he does on TV." Lydia laughed, shrugging.

"Oh come on, Nate. You've already stolen the hearts of two of my daughters, now you're going after my wife?" Jimmy joked.

"Dad. Stop." Haley sighed, running her fingers through her hair.

"Hey, I'm only trying to steal Haley's heart. Everyone else is not my fault." Nathan replied, smiling over at Haley.

"Well it's a nice surprise to see you here. We weren't planning on you coming, so since David isn't here I guess Quinn can bunk with Haley and you can take the room Quinn was going to stay in?" Jimmy suggested, glancing at Haley.

Quinn laughed quietly, "Oh, this is too good." She hummed, smiling at her younger sister.

"Um... Dad." Haley began, rubbing her neck and glancing at Nathan.

"Jimmy, give it a rest. We all got Andrew's text, and we all know what's going on between them. Just let the two of them share a room." Lydia laughed, waving her hand.

"That's really alright, I don't mind." Nathan said, smiling at them.

"Nathan, don't lie. You'll be bunking with Haley." Lydia said, nodding at him. "Don't worry, Taylor will be staying on the opposite side of the house, but Jason and his wife are right next door to you, so play quietly." She teased them.

"Mom." Haley sighed, shaking her head. "Come on, Nathan. I'll show you where we're staying." She grabbed his arm, tugging him towards the stairs.

"Leave the door open! Or don't, depends on what you're doing." Jimmy called after them, laughing.

Haley shut the door quietly behind them, letting out a deep breath. "I'm so sorry." She laughed, sitting down on the bed and running her fingers through her hair.

Nathan smiled, setting his stuff down. "Don't be. I love you family. They're so fun." He said, kissing her forehead. "It's always nice to have a James girl feeling me up. I just wish it was you instead of your mom."

"I'm sorry for all the Taylor jokes too, and they're just going to get worse as the weekend goes on." She said softly, laying back against the bed, covering her face.

Nathan moved so he was hovering over her, smirking slightly. "I've spent time with your family before, baby. I've been through it all."

"Yeah, I know. At least they already like you." She hummed, wrapping her arms around his neck, gently pulling him down, kissing him lightly. "You know what I can't wait for? To see your game tonight. Rumor has it you're doing much better." She whispered, brushing her fingers through his hair.

"I'm doing better, that's for sure." He said softly, looking down at her. "I probably need to go soon too. Maybe we could leave a little early, and catch up in the car." He said, smirking at her.

"In your dreams. I doubt there will be any sex this weekend. My family would mock me endlessly." Haley laughed, kissing him softly.

"We'll see about that." Nathan smirked, before standing up. "Well, I brought you something." He said, hurrying over to his suitcase, opening it quickly.

"What? Why?" Haley asked, sitting up and raising her eyebrows.

Nathan shrugged his shoulders, pulling out a Knicks jersey with his name and number on the back. "I thought maybe you'd wear it to the game tonight. I know your whole family is probably going to want Charlotte to win, but I thought maybe you'd do me a solid and root for me instead." He hummed, holding it up.

"I would love to wear that." Haley said softly, taking it from him and smiling. "I was going to cheer for you anyways." She hummed, wrapping her arms around his neck, standing on her toes and kissing him quickly.

Nathan smirked against her lips, pulling her closer to him and kissing her back, closing his eyes tightly.

Haley pulled away after a second, brushing her hands over his chest. "I already had your jersey number on me, in case you forgot." She whispered in his ear, nipping at his earlobe.

"Mm... I'd never forget about that." He replied, smirking slightly. "But I really do need to go soon. And you get the privilege of driving me since I didn't fly in with the team." He hummed, kissing her softly.

"How about we stay up here for five more minutes, then I can drive you to a secluded park and we can have some time there, then I'll take you to your game?" Haley hummed, winking at him.

"Well, I like the sound of that." He hummed, glancing towards the door.

"I thought you might. And then you and I have to talk tonight." She said softly, brushing her fingers through his hair.

"I like the sound of that too." Nathan said softly, smiling at her.

"I figured that you would like that as well. Now, five minutes." Haley laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck, kissing him deeply.

Nathan had played very well the whole game, and every time he did something that was semi impressive, he would subtly point at Haley and wink, which made her heart flutter. He had been named Player of the Game that night, so he had to give a brief interview afterwards, and Haley waited for him, despite him telling her not to.

Nathan rushed to her once he was done with his interview, wrapping his arms around her and lifting her up off the ground. "Thank you for coming tonight." He hummed.

Haley smiled brightly, hugging him tightly. "You played great, Nathan." She said softly, kissing his cheek.

"It was all for you. You didn't have to stick around." He said quietly, setting her back down on the ground.

"I wanted to. Are you ready to go?" Haley asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah. Do you want to talk now, or later? Because I need to shower." He chuckled, shrugging slightly.

"You can shower first. And I'm sure that you're hungry after a game like that." Haley said softly, linking her arm through his.

"You look damn good in my jersey." He hummed, kissing her head softly, letting out a deep breath. "I'm exhausted. You know what I could use? A beautiful girl in the shower with me."

"Well maybe we can find you one on the way home. Might be a little awkward to explain to my parents why some random girl is in their shower." Haley laughed, smiling up at him.

"Not what I meant." He said, shaking his head and chuckling. "You know what? It's fine. I can live a weekend without sex. I've done it for the past couple months, what's a few more days?"

"Wow, self control." Haley laughed, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Except there's only one problem. You're around me now." Nathan grumbled, pulling her closer to him.

"Oh come on, you can handle it." Haley said, smiling at him.

"We'll see." He mumbled, pulling open the car door for her, walking around and getting in. "Now I have a couple free days to spend with the girl of my dreams and her family."

"My crazy family. I beginning to regret inviting you, but I missed you so much and you were here anyways. We'll just have to deal with the jokes. And if my brothers go golfing with you, don't beat Andrew then brag about it because he'll probably end up hitting you in the head with a golf club this time, and I really don't want that to happen." Haley laughed, starting the car and grabbing onto his hand, giving it a soft squeeze.

"Will do. So here's a question; when I propose to you, do you want the ring I bought for you in college, or do you want a new one?" Nathan asked, smirking at her.

"You're kind of cocky, aren't you?" Haley laughed, rolling her eyes.

"Maybe a little." He replied, shrugging.

"This is such a weird conversation. I like the ring you bought in college. It's simple. Nothing too flashy, elegant." She said softly, shaking her head.

"Good to know. Well, be prepared Haley James. Because I'm not wasting anytime." Nathan said, leaning over and kissing her cheek.

Haley laughed quietly, "You're serious, huh?"

"Dead serious. I'm in love with you. You're the one. I know it, and I've always known it." He said, shrugging.

She smiled, giving his hand a soft squeeze. "When we get back, hurry and shower, okay? Make sure to keep the doors locked too, because I don't trust Taylor. Or my mother, for that matter." She laughed.

Nathan chuckled, "What can I say? I attract the James girls. First Taylor, then you, now I guess your mom is coming after me too."

"You're not as funny as you think you are." Haley hummed, glancing over at him.

"Sure, Hales." He said, shaking his head and kissing her knuckles softly. "You're not a very good driver, just so you know." He chuckled, smirking slightly.

"I'm a great driver!" Haley scowled, shaking her head and glancing over at him.

"No, Haley. I should've driven." Nathan laughed, setting her hand on the steering wheel. "You should use both hands."

"Nathan, I'm a good driver." She said, shaking her head.

"Hell no. You're going to have to get better at driving before we have kids." He hummed, shrugging.

She rolled her eyes, "You really are full of it, you know that? You think you can say whatever you want and it will make me fall madly in love with you."

"Haley, you already are madly in love with me. Don't tell me your feelings have changed in the last month?" He questioned, raising his eyebrows.

"No, they haven't. But you can't just say stuff like that." Haley said, shaking her head.

"I can do whatever I want, future Mrs. Scott." Nathan replied, smirking. "Now focus on the road, please. I need one of those drivers Ed cars where there's a break and steering wheel on both sides."

"I am not that bad." She defended herself, shaking her head and pulling into the driveway. "Look, you made it here in once piece. You're welcome."

He looked at her, smiling and kissing her cheek. "Thank you." He said, chuckling quietly and getting out of the car, hurrying around to her door and pulling it open. "I love you, terrible driving and all." Nathan hummed, helping her out of the car. "You look damn good in my jersey, have I told you that?"

Haley laughed, grabbing his hand. "Come on, Scott. I'm going to start getting impatient, and our little talk will have to wait until tomorrow." She shrugged, tugging him into the house.

Nathan nodded, "Okay, I'll be quick." He said, squeezing her hand.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't my youngest sister with my sloppy seconds. That sounds a lot like what you said the first time we had sex, Nate." Taylor said, smirking at the two of them.

"Come on, Taylor. Were you just sitting at the door waiting for us to come home?" Haley said, sighing softly. "Nathan, go shower." She said, gesturing towards the stairs.

Nathan nodded slowly, wrapping his arms around Haley, kissing her quickly. "Okay, baby. I love you." He hummed, hurrying up the stairs.

"Andrew didn't mention the whole 'I love you' part in the text he sent out. But he did say something about how you two aren't even officially together." Taylor hummed, glancing up the stairs after Nathan. "I don't know how, especially after watching him play basketball tonight. I really missed out."

"Taylor, come on. Can you just stop joking about it already? All of you need to just give it up." Haley sighed, shaking her head, walking into the kitchen, finding Vivian and her husband Jared sitting at the kitchen table.

"Hey Haley! Nathan looked good tonight." Vivian said, standing up and pulling her sister into a hug, smiling. "How're things going with him?"

"Fine." Haley said softly, letting out a small sigh, getting some left over food out the fridge to warm up for Nathan.

"That's all I'm going to get? Come on, tell me stuff. I learn all the details about your life from the media. What was it we heard the other day, Jared?" Vivian asked, looking over at her husband.

"Haley and Nathan had broken up, even though they'd never been confirmed to be dating." Jared said, not looking up from the newspaper he was reading.

"Yeah! So what's going on, Haley? Is he your boy, or just your boytoy?" Vivian asked. "Andrew said-"

"Yes, I know that Andrew told everyone everything that's happened. Where is he anyways?" Haley grumbled, shrugging.

"He's staying at Brandon's house. Quinn was going to call David. You just saw Taylor. Mom and Dad are putting all of the kids to bed. Jason has 800 of them. And Isabella had a headache from the game so her and Jason went to bed." Vivian laughed.

"He has four, and we have five." Jared said, shaking his head.

"His kids are much more rowdy than ours, so it feels like 800." Vivian said, poking her husband in the back of the head.

Haley rubbed her eyes tiredly, yawning and letting out a deep sigh.

"Everything okay?" Vivian asked, raising her eyebrows.

"What? Yeah. Everything is fine." Haley said, putting the food in the microwave, shaking her head slightly.

"So, I can't say that I'm shocked you ended up with Nathan again. I was shocked when you two broke up. We both were. Right Jared?" Vivian said, poking her husband again. "Jared was a little mad too, because he was just waiting for the day Nathan got called to the NBA and he could get free tickets."

"Yep. Now I have to rebuild a friendship." Jared laughed, looking over at Haley.

Haley smiled slightly, nodding at them. "Yeah, well I'm sorry for that." She chuckled quietly, running her fingers through her hair. "So do you know how long Quinn will be on the phone with David?"

"Ah, right. I forgot Quinn was the sibling you usually tell things to." Vivian said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Viv, I was just wondering." Haley chuckled, pulling Nathan's food out the microwave.

"Okay, then tell me the juicy gossip. I've been married for a million years, so tell me what's been going on between you and Nathan." Vivian said, smiling at her.

"It's pretty much what Andrew told you, probably." Haley sighed, looking up when Nathan walked into the room.

"Nathan!" Vivian said, smiling at him, walking over and hugging him tightly. "You played great tonight. It's good to see you again. Jared and I went to one of you games awhile back, but they wouldn't let us come talk to you."

"Thank you. I'm sorry about that, you'd be surprised by how many people try to pull off the whole 'we're part of this player's family' think. If I would of seen you, I would of talked to you." Nathan said, smiling at her, nodding at Jared. "Hey, man. It's good to see you. Got any kids running around here?"

"They're all hopefully going to bed." Jared said, nodding over at Nathan.

Haley set the food at the table, "Eat fast, please." She said, sending Nathan a small smile. "I'm going to go talk to Quinn for a little bit. Yell when you're done."

Nathan nodded, smiling at her. "Thanks, baby." He said, sitting down at the table, his eyes following her as she walked out of the room.

"So, Nate. Tell us some details." Vivian said, humming softly.

Nathan chuckled quietly, pulling his wallet out of his pocket, sliding the ring out of it. "I'm pretty sure this is the only detail you need. This is where I'm at." He said, holding it up.

Vivian raised her eyebrows, grabbing it from his hand. "Wow, that's a little fast, don't you think?" She said, examining it.

"Stay out of it, Viv. They went out for a few years before they broke up." Jared said, looking at the ring.

"I don't think it's going too fast, no." Nathan hummed, taking it back from her. "Haley knows, anyways. I told her. I've showed her too."

"Ballsy." Vivian said, raising her eyebrows. "Are you two even dating?"

"Not yet." Nathan chuckled, "But pretty much. I mean- it's kind of a weird situation."

"You see, Jared? I get more from him than I get from my own sister. Maybe I need to start taking notes from Quinn." Vivian said, shrugging.

"Yep." Jared said, shaking his head.

Vivian shook her head, rubbing Jared's shoulder. "This is what you get to look forward to. Pretending to pay attention to things your wife says."

Nathan chuckled quietly, finishing his food and clearing his plate, putting it in the dishwasher. "Well, I better go make my girl officially my girl." He hummed, picking up Haley's purse and calling out her name. "I'll be in the car, Hales. I've got your purse, and I'm driving!" He yelled out, hurrying outside.

After driving for a little while, Nathan pulled the car off to the side of the road, looking over at Haley and smiling brightly. "So." He began, reaching over and grabbing her hand.

"This is where you want to talk? In the middle of no where? Unless this is where you plan to kill me." Haley chuckled, smiling at him.

"That kind of depends on how this conversation goes." Nathan laughed, smirking at her.

"Good to know." She hummed, tugging on his hand softly, leaning over and smiling at him. "You look amazing on a basketball court, Nathan Scott. Anyone ever tell you that?"

"If they have it didn't mean nearly as much as it does coming from your mouth." He said softly, kissing her hand softly.

"Do you know how hard this is going to be? Because these last two months sucked." Haley said after a moment of silence, squeezing his hand.

"The last four years have been worse." He reminded her, sighing softly. "You aren't backing out, are you?" He asked her quietly, his face falling.

"What? No, Nathan. No." She said, letting out a deep breath. "It will probably be easier now that I'm not on tour, but it'll still be hard."

Nathan looked at her, nodding his head slowly. "I can retire and move to California if you want."

"Baby, that's not what I want at all. No." She said, resting her hand on his cheek.

"I just want to be with you, Haley. And I love basketball, but I love you more." He said quietly.

Haley smiled at him, leaning over and kissing him briefly. "I don't want you to give up basketball, Nathan. We can make it work. It's going to be hard, but we'll figure it out, alright? I want to be with you."

"Those were the words I've been waiting to hear." Nathan said, smiling at her, resting his forehead against hers. "I love you." He whispered, gently squeezing her hand.

"I love you too, Nathan Scott." Haley replied, nudging her nose against his.

"So it's official?" He asked, smiling brightly at her.

"Yes, it's official now." Haley said, smiling in return, kissing him softly. "Maybe we should ditch the house for the night and go find a hotel?"

"Isn't this your mom's car?" Nathan chuckled, looking around.

"She won't need it. And if she does, my dad has a car too." Haley hummed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "It's hard to kiss you like I want to in this."

"I think everyone would know what was going on." He said softly, looking at her.

"Am I really going to talk you into having sex with me?" She laughed, tangling her fingers in his hair.

He smirked slightly, leaning over and kissing her lightly. "I just don't want you to be embarrassed."

"That's sweet of you, Nathan. But I really don't care at the moment." She said softly, smiling at him. "I love you, and you have no idea how sexy you are when you play basketball. Especially like you played tonight." She whispered, kissing his neck lightly.

Nathan closed his eyes, tilting his head a little bit. "I was hoping you would join me in the shower."

"Trust me, I considered it." Haley laughed quietly, pulling back and resting her hand on his leg. "We could probably get back before anyone else wakes up, if you're worried about my family."

"You really want to go spend the night at some hotel when your parents house isn't that far away?" Nathan chuckled.

"Did you want to have sex in the room right next to my brother's?" She questioned him.

"Aren't you the one that said I would be fine without sex for one weekend?" He joked, winking at her.

"You know what? Fine. I take it back, let's just go home." Haley laughed, squeezing his leg softly.

"Wait, wait, wait." He said quickly, shaking his head. "I was just joking. We can find a hotel."

"Not as funny as you think you are, hm?" She hummed, leaning over and kissing his cheek.

"I guess not." Nathan said, looking over at her. "Hey. Guess what?" He said softly, smiling at her.

"What?" Haley asked, raising her eyebrows.

"You're the most beautiful woman in the whole world- no. The whole universe, assuming that there are other being living on other planets." Nathan chuckled, smiling at her.

She looked at him, smiling slightly. "I love you so much, Nathan. I'm sorry for making you wait these past few months..."

"Don't worry about it, Haley. I understand your reasoning. I love you." He whispered, kissing her softly. "Now... Were you serious about that hotel, or was that a joke?"

"Serious. Get driving, Scott. We have a whole month to make up for and only one night to do it." She hummed, tugging on his t-shirt softly.


	14. Chapter 14

**Finding The Way Back**

 **Chapter 14**

"Nathan, wake up!" Haley said quickly, hitting his chest lightly. "It's nearly two o'clock. We slept way too late."

"No." Nathan grumbled, rolling onto his stomach and pressing his face into the pillow.

"Nathan, every single member of my family has called me like a thousand times. Wake up." She laughed, looking down at him.

"No." He repeated, shaking his head and sighing softly.

She raised her eyebrows, "It's my dads birthday, Nathan. I'll leave you here." She laughed, kissing the back of his head softly.

He lifted up his head, looking at her and sighing softly. "Fine, but only because I believe that you'll actually leave me here."

Haley smiled at him, kissing him softly. "You're right. So get that sexy ass moving." She hummed, running her fingers through his hair.

Nathan studied her for a second, before sitting up. "I have an even better idea. Do you want to hear it?"

"I'm not going to shower with you." Haley said, shaking her head. "In fact, I'm going to shower and lock the door."

"It will save time." He said, wrapping his arms around her.

"No, it won't." She said, kissing him softly. "I'm going to be super quick, and if you get in there with me, it will be anything but."

"We're already late. Might as well." He suggested, pulling her closer to him.

"Mm... No. I'm locking the door too, so don't even think about it." Haley laughed, kissing him softly,

"Just think- now you can sleep for a few more minutes."

"Yeah, well now I don't want to sleep." Nathan mumbled, kissing her shoulder lightly. "Why would you wake me up just to tell me to go back to sleep?"

"I just wanted you to be prepared. I know how you don't like being woken up." She hummed.

"Oh, baby... When it's you waking me up, I don't care." He replied sweetly, releasing her from his grasp. "But fine. Go ahead, take your time. I appreciate sleep. Maybe a little more than I appreciate sex."

"Good to know." Haley hummed, running her fingers through his hair.

"Why don't you just wait until you get home to shower?" He questioned her, raising his eyebrows.

"Nathan, there never has been, and never will be any hot water for the last person to shower in my house. You know that." She laughed.

"I usually took cold showers anyways because you wouldn't have sex with me when ever someone in your family was near. Now I guess since we both make money we can just get a hotel room." He joked.

"I guess that's how it works now." Haley hummed, standing up and walking into the bathroom.

Nathan waited about two minutes, before testing the bathroom door. Unlocked. He smirked, shaking his head and going in, climbing into the shower behind her. "I knew you wanted me, James. I don't know why you try to lie to yourself."

"Who said I didn't want you?" Haley asked, not bothering to turn around and look at him.

"Thought you were going to lock the door?" He whispered, kissing her neck lightly.

"And I thought you were going back to sleep?" She hummed, leaning back into him.

"I guess my plan changed." He said softly, sucking on her skin lightly.

"Looks like mine did too then, hm?" She replied, turning around and kissing him.

"Smart decision, really." He whispered, backing her up into the wall.

"I agree." She said, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Like you said... We're already late."

"You are dead to me." Haley said to him, shaking her head and scowling as they got into the car. "I can't believe you, Nathan Scott."

"Oh come on, Haley. You liked it." Nathan laughed, shaking his head.

"You gave me a hickey! In a very obvious place." She scowled at him, pointing to the mark on her neck.

"Technically I gave you multiple, that one is just in a spot that can be seen." He said, smirking slightly.

"I hope my brothers beat you up." She sighed, crossing her arms and looking out the window.

"They won't." He hummed, resting his hand on her thigh, giving her leg a soft squeeze.

"On my dad's birthday." She grumbled, resting her hand over his.

"You can give me one, if you'd like." Nathan suggested, shrugging his shoulders.

"No thanks." She said, shaking her head.

"Oh come on, Haley. You can cover it up with make up. What did you tell your family about us being gone?" He asked, tapping his fingers on her leg.

"I told them that we wanted to have sex so we crashed in a hotel for the night." Haley said simply, looking at him.

"Really?" He asked, smirking slightly.

"No, and you better not say that either. For some reason, you have lost your filter and now speak your mind freely." She said, lifting up his hand and setting it away from her.

"Name one example?" He asked, laughing.

"Uh, let me think. You told me that we were going to get married before we even started dating, and you told my family that too. And Lucas." She said, shaking her head.

"Are we not?" Nathan questioned, raising his eyebrows.

"Regardless of what my answer is to that question, you can't just go around telling people that." Haley pointed out.

"Baby, I'm telling everyone that, now that we're official." He hummed.

"You're crazy. And I'm still pissed that you have me a hickey!" She grumbled, smacking his leg softly.

"Cover it up with make up." He hummed, glancing over at her.

"Yeah, well I still have to get into the house and up the stairs quietly without anyone noticing, and that won't happen." She said, shaking her head.

"You want me to tell you I feel bad? Because I don't. I think it's sexy, and you weren't complaining when I gave it to you." He pointed out.

"I said 'Nathan, don't do that.' And you ignored me." She responded.

"But you also said 'Oh, Nathan don't stop.' Remember?" He mocked her, smirking.

"Vaguely." Haley grumbled, her cheeks turning red.

"Seriously though, what did you tell your family?" Nathan asked, grabbing her hand.

"I said that we were too tired to drive all the way home. And it would of been a good excuse, but you gave me a stupid hickey." She said, sighing.

"Oh come on. It's not that bad, Haley. I guarantee every single member of you family has had one before." He hummed. "Plus that's not a very good excuse."

"Ew, Nathan." She grumbled, squeezing his hand.

"You have plenty on you right now. You should thank me for only making one visible." He hummed.

"Oh, thank you so much. It must have been such a sacrifice for you." She laughed, lacing their fingers together.

"I can't help it, Haley. You're so beautiful." He hummed, bringing her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles gently.

"You're going to have to help me figure this one out, Nathan. Because it won't just be me that they're making fun of, they'll make fun of you too." Haley pointed out.

He looked at her, smiling slightly. "Oh come on, Hales. Loosen up a little. It's your dad's birthday, and you can finally say that I'm your boyfriend. It's not a bad day."

"I never said it was, Nathan. I love you, I just know how my family is, and they won't spare me the embarrassment. They'll bring it up right away." She said, sighing softly.

Nathan chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. "Just run up the stairs and I'll distract them. If it's your mom that sees us, I'll just whip off my shirt. They can see the scratch marks instead." He said, smirking.

"Nathan, that's a terrible plan." Haley laughed, squeezing his hand softly.

"Okay, okay. You just run upstairs and say you need to plug in your phone. That's a good enough excuse. Or that we're wearing the same clothes we wore yesterday, so we have to change." He hummed, shrugging.

"Now that's a better idea." She said, leaning over and kissing his cheek.

"See? Sometimes I have good ideas." He hummed, smiling at her.

"You have a lot of good ideas, don't sell yourself short." She hummed, squeezing his hand.

"See that? That's what's going to make you an awesome wife and mother. You build people up." Nathan said, smirking.

Haley laughed, shaking her head at him. "You're cute."

"Feel my shirt, Hales." He said, poking his arm out towards her.

She raised her eyebrows, touching his sleeve. "What was the point of that?"

"You feel that? That's husband material. Go ahead, tell me. Tell me I'm husband material." He said, smirking.

"I take it back, you aren't cute." She said, rolling her eyes and laughing. "Is that the best you can come up with?"

"Did you sit in some sugar? Because you have a sweet ass." He grinned at her, shrugging his shoulders.

Haley hit his arm softly, smiling at him. "You're cheesy."

"I'm not cheesy." Nathan protested, shaking his head. "Besides, you don't have anything better."

"Pick up lines don't work." She laughed, shaking her head.

"Are you tired? Because you've been running through my mind all day." He said, grinning at her cheekily.

"I'm sure that's not all I've been doing." She winked at him, chuckling.

"I was feeling a little off today, but you definitely turned me on."

"Pick up lines don't work, Nathan."

"Do too."

"Whatever you say." She responded, shaking her head.

"They've worked for me before." Nathan pointed that.

"Is that because a girl thought it was cute, or because you're Nathan Scott?" Haley asked, raising her eyebrows.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" He questioned.

"It's not lost on me how many women think you're some sex god." She hummed, squeezing his hand.

"Is that jealousy I detect?" He asked, smirking slightly.

"Why would I be jealous when I know that they'll never find out if it's true or not?" She shrugged.

"Well, is it true?" Nathan asked her, pulling into the driveway and raising his eyebrows.

"Look at that, we're back." She said, smirking and getting out of the car.

"Wait, Haley!" He said, climbing out and frowning. "Is it true?"

"I could tell you... But you gave me a hickey on my neck, so I'm not going to." She hummed.

"That's not fair." Nathan frowned, grabbing her hand, glancing around before back her up against the house. "Tell me or I'll give you another one."

"Nathan." Haley laughed, tilting her head to the side a little bit when he started to kiss her neck.

"Tell me." He said, raising his eyebrows.

"Fine. Yes, it's true." She laughed, guiding his face up to hers, kissing him sweetly.

"Yes! You think I'm a Sex God." He said, smirking slightly.

"Don't let it get to your head." She said, shaking her head and rubbing his arms softly. "Let's just go inside, before your ego gets any bigger."

"Smart move." Nathan chuckled, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side, heading to the door. "Okay, baby. Just run upstairs, and you'll be fine. But don't fall, I know how athletic you are." He teased her, kissing her cheek.

"You're full of funny today, aren't you?" She laughed, nodding at him and opening the door quietly. She held a finger to her lips, nodding towards the living room. "You go in." She whispered. "I'm going to go get ready."

"What? Why can't we do that together?" He asked her quietly, frowning.

"Because you can distract them." Haley responded, nodding towards the living room.

"Fine." He grumbled, nodding to the staircase just to the side of the entryway. "Go." He said, giving her a soft smack on the butt, winking and heading into the living room while she went upstairs.

"Well, look who it is. My future son in law, doing the walk of shame. Where's my daughter?" Lydia asked, grinning up at him.

"She's upstairs, plugging in her phone." He chuckled, running his fingers through his hair.

"It would have been nice to know that you two weren't coming home last night." Jimmy said, nodding over at him.

"I'm sorry, sir. Happy Birthday, by the way. You don't look a day over 25." Nathan said, smirking slightly.

"Okay, all is forgiven." Jimmy laughed.

"She is an adult, after all. As long as she wasn't driving, there was no need to worry." Lydia hummed.

"She's a terrible driver, I tried to tell her that. But I was driving." Nathan laughed, sitting down on the couch. "Where is everyone?"

"All of our kids went to the store except for Quinn, she's upstairs. And most of the grand kids are outside, some are in the kitchen. Really, there's a variety all over our house. We had too many children." Jimmy laughed, shaking his head. "And they all decided to have a lot of children."

"I'm sure Quinn will start adding to the list too, and same with Haley." Lydia said, winking at Nathan.

"Speaking of you two..." Jimmy trailed off, looking over at Lydia, before looking at Nathan again. "The answer is still yes, Nate."

"Excuse me?" Nathan raised his eyebrows, giving them both a confused look.

"I still approve of the two of you getting married. You asked a few years ago, and I said yes then, and I still say yes." Jimmy nodded at him.

"Wow. Thank you so much, sir. I was actually going to ask you this weekend- I mean... I know we've only been back in each others lives for a little while, but she's everything to me." Nathan said, nodding at him. "Thank you. Both of you."

"Of course. We know that you're a good guy, and she loves you a lot. Just try to actually do it this time, yeah?" Lydia said, smiling at him. "No one is good enough for her, but you're pretty close."

"I appreciate you saying that." Nathan nodded at them, letting out a deep breath.

"When are you going to do it?" She asked him, leaning forward a bit.

"I'm not sure yet. I want to do it soon, but I don't know if she'd say yes." Nathan admitted, looking down.

"You'd be surprised." Lydia hummed, smiling at Nathan, before looking at Jimmy.

"We'll just have to wait and see." Nathan said softly, smiling.


	15. Chapter 15

**Finding The Way Back**

 **I appreciate all the reviews I've been getting! To the person that wanted me to update 'The Path We Follow' that's not my fic! But I agree that it's a good one. Thank you!**

 **Chapter 15**

Haley smiled brightly as she watched Nathan playing with her younger nephews, letting them wrestle him down to the ground. It brought joy to her heart to see them warming up to him so quickly. They had told him constantly how awesome he been in his game last night, basically feeding his ego.

"That's pretty cute." Quinn hummed, stepping up to her side.

"Hm?" Haley asked, looking over at her and raising her eyebrows.

"Nathan. With kids." Quinn said, nodding over at him.

"Yeah, I guess so." Haley said, smiling over at Nathan, waving.

Nathan waved at her, before he was being pummeled over by 3 kids, laughing loudly.

"I have a good feeling about him. So either you have to marry him, or Taylor." Quinn joked, smirking.

"Not funny." Haley said, rolling her eyes.

"You're going to marry him, huh?" Quinn asked her, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, I think I am." Haley said softly, looking over at Quinn. "How's David doing?"

Quinn shifted slightly, looking over at Haley. "Come with me." She said, grabbing Haley's wrist, pulling her out of the room.

"Quinn? What's going on?" Haley asked her, frowning.

"I wasn't going to talk about this, because it's Dad's birthday... But I just needed to get it out, and you're my biggest confidant, so I'm going to tell you." Quinn said softly.

"What's going on?" Haley raised her eyebrows, shaking her head.

"David and I are getting divorced." Quinn said, letting out a deep breath. "Wow. It just feels so real to say out loud."

"What? Quinn... What happened?" Haley asked her quickly.

"Things have just changed, Hales. He's not the same man he was when I married him." Quinn said, shaking her head.

"What do you mean?" Haley frowned, glancing towards the doorway.

"He isn't the carefree man I love, Haley. He only cares about making money, having more, buying more, spending more. He doesn't love life the way he used to." Quinn said quietly, letting out a small sigh.

"Are you sure this is what you want to do? I mean... It's big." Haley said, looking at her older sister.

"He hasn't been the man I love for a long time now, Haley. Our hearts have been separated, and now I'm just finally calling it what it is." Quinn looked at her, sighing. "What do you think?"

"You've really been unhappy? All the time?" Haley asked her softly.

"No, not all of the time. But I just don't know who he is anymore." Quinn said, nodding at her. "My decision is firm, Haley. I'm already looking for an apartment."

"Well... I have to talk to Nathan about this, but... I'm planning on going to New York after this, and spending some time there. Maybe you should come with me? Spend some time away from the craziness, and you can enjoy the city. Maybe you can do a photoshoot for me or something?" Haley suggested, hugging her older sister.

"Yeah, I don't know about that, Hales." Quinn said, shaking her head. "You and Nathan just got back together. I appreciate the offer though."

"I still need to talk to him about it, but Quinn... I'm here for you. He'll agree with me. I want you with me." Haley said, nodding at her.

"Plus, when Nathan goes out of town you can keep me company. I need to talk to him about it first, though."

"How long are you planning on staying there?" Quinn questioned, raising her eyebrows.

"I don't know, really." Haley chuckled. "Until I need to go back, probably."

"The question is, do I even want to stay with you?" Quinn joked. "Or maybe I'll have the whole place to myself and you two will just get a hotel room whenever you want to have sex." She said, smirking slightly.

"I take it back." Haley laughed, shaking her head.

"And I don't think you did very well at covering up the hickey on your neck. Or at least, I noticed it." Quinn laughed.

"Okay, okay. That's enough." Haley said, shaking her head and laughing.

"Seriously though... Thank you, Haley. I really don't want to intrude on your alone time with Nathan though." Quinn said softly, pulling Haley into a tight hug.

"I'll talk to him, and get back to you." Haley said, smiling at her and nodding.

"Alright. But let's get back out there, it is Dad's birthday party and all." Quinn hummed, nodding at Haley and following her out of the room.

Haley smiled at Nathan as soon as she walked back into the room, letting out a deep breath. He was sitting on the couch, holding her six month old niece, looking a little uncomfortable with the baby in his arms. She walked over, taking a seat next to him. "Baby duty?" She laughed.

"Yeah, uh... I don't know. She just kind of ended up in my arms. I'm not sure how it happened." Nathan chuckled, shaking his head. "Do you, uh, want to hold her?"

"No, no. That's fine." She hummed, brushing her fingers through his hair.

"You two are adorable. Let me take a picture." Quinn hummed, holding up her camera.

Haley laughed, shaking her head and rolling her eyes, posing for the picture with Nathan.

"I look like an idiot. I think the last time I held a baby was when I was with your whole family last." He said, shaking his head.

"You look cute." Haley hummed, kissing his cheek.

"Cute? So are you saying we should have one of these soon?" Nathan chuckled, smirking.

"No, that's not what I'm saying. You seem to forget that we've been back together for one day." Haley hummed.

"Oh come on, Hales. That's cold." Quinn laughed, shrugging. "Where is everyone, anyways?"

"They all went to eat cake. I got stuck with the baby." He shrugged. "My diet doesn't have cake in it, unfortunately."

"Without us? Harsh." She laughed, shaking her head. "I'm going to head in there, before it's all gone." Quinn hummed, heading out of the room.

"You can go get some cake, Hales." Nathan said softly, closing his eyes.

Haley smiled, kissing his cheek lightly, looking down at the baby in his arms. "I will if you will."

"I have to eat healthy. Can't lose any of my strength." He said, glancing over at her.

"Mhm." She hummed, squeezing his bicep lightly. "You don't have anything to worry about, just saying."

"One day this will be our life." He said softly, nodding down at the baby in his arms.

Haley smiled slightly, pinching her niece's cheeks, and standing up. "Well, Mr. Exercise, I'm sure as hell going to go get some cake." She hummed, winking at him. "Just so you know, you look good with a baby." She said, leaning over and kissing him briefly, before heading out of the room.

"Hey, Scott! Why don't you come out a play some real ball? You play with all those weak guys on the court, let's see if you've got it out in the real world." Haley's brother, Jason said, smirking at him once he walked into the room.

"We won't make it too hard for you."

"As long as I can bring the baby... I'm sure I could take you with her in my arms." Nathan chuckled, nodding up at him.

"You've been holding that kid for like an hour, give her up. If it was my baby, I'd know why. But it's just Andrew's kid. Not even that cute." Jason laughed, smirking when Andrew walked in and shoved him.

"I think Haley has been telling people to leave her with me. I don't really know why. Guess she thinks I look good with a baby." Nathan replied, smirking.

"Funny. Your kids will have your goofy looking face. Hopefully they're 100% Haley. Assuming that she would have a child with you." Jason said, shaking his head.

Haley walked in, rolling her eyes. "Enough out of you. I'll take her from you, Nathan." She hummed, walking over to him and taking the small baby out of his arms.

Nathan looked up at her, smiling slightly and standing up. "Wow." He said softly, kissing her quickly.

"Okay, three second rule. Come on, Nate." Andrew said, shaking his head.

"It's Dad's birthday, are you sure you should be leaving?" Haley asked, looking over at her brothers.

"It was Dad's idea, Haley." Jason said, looking down when his five year old son ran up.

"Is Nathan coming with us?" He asked, looking over at Nathan.

"Yeah." Jason replied, nodding at him.

"Sweet! I call his team!" He grinned, before running off.

"Damn. Looks like Nathan has worked his way to the top in the matter of one basketball game." Jason laughed, shaking his head.

"He does that a lot." She laughed. "Alright, well be safe." Haley hummed, smiling at them.

Nathan nodded his head, leaning over and kissing her once more. "You look good with a baby too." He said, smirking at her. "I'll see you later." He said, kissing her cheek before rushing away with her brothers.

They returned a few hours later, her father rushing into the kitchen, where Haley, her mother, and her sisters were all sitting, grabbing paper towels, then rushing back outside.

"Jimmy?" Lydia called out, raising her eyebrows.

Jimmy stepped back a minute later, walking to the sink and beginning to wash the blood off of his hands.

"I swear, if Andrew punched Nathan again I'll kill him." Haley laughed, raising her eyebrows.

"What happened?" Lydia asked, looking at him.

"Oh... Just a little accident." Jimmy chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. "Andrew did not punch Nathan."

A few seconds later, everyone else walked into the room, except for Nathan. Andrew was holding paper towels to his bleeding nose, while everyone else looks like they were about to break into laughter any second.

"Where's Nathan?" Haley asked cautiously, glancing at Quinn.

"He's putting on a shirt. Mr. Perfect Muscles gave me his to stop the blood." Andrew grumbled, throwing the bloody shirt at Haley, shaking his head at his wife who rushed up to him.

Haley looked at Brandon, who nodded his head and chuckled quietly, a small smirk on his face. "I liked this shirt. And he was probably cold, it's not exactly warm outside." She said, chuckling quietly.

"I'm sure he was fine." Andrew said to her, rolling his eyes.

"I better go make sure Nathan is okay, if his name really is Mr. Perfect Muscles." Lydia said, laughing.

"Funny." Andrew said sarcastically.

"Andrew, chill out." Jason laughed, slapping him on the back.

"Okay, what happened?" Taylor laughed, raising her eyebrows.

"Nathan punched him!" Andrew's seven year old son said, bursting into laughter.

"He didn't punch him, technically." Jared said, nodding at Vivian.

"I have to say, little brother... You probably deserved it." Vivian laughed, shaking her head.

"He's a jackass." Andrew snapped, shaking his head.

"Hey!" Haley frowned, shaking her head.

"Language." Andrew's wife, Natasha, scolded him, hitting his chest softly.

"What did he do?" Quinn laughed.

"He attacked me." Andrew scowled, rolling his eyes.

"He did not attack you, Andy Boy. Tell the truth." Brandon laughed, smirking.

All eyes turned to Nathan once he walked into the room, causing him to stop in his tracks. "Uh... Hey." He said, giving them a small wave.

After a few moments of silence, Lydia spoke up. "Okay, what happened?" She asked, laughing quietly.

Jimmy resting his hand on Nathan's shoulder, laughing quietly. "Nathan elbowed Andrew in the nose while we were playing."

"It was an accident!" Nathan said, shaking his head.

"It was not an accident, you little shit." Andrew snapped.

"Dude! I really didn't mean to do it." Nathan defended himself, looking over at Haley. "I didn't do it on purpose."

"Okay come on, Andrew. You know he didn't mean to do it. Let it go." Jimmy laughed, shrugging his shoulders.

"He probably broke my nose." Andrew grumbled, glaring at Nathan.

"Didn't you kind of deserve it? I mean you did punch him in the face a few years ago." Quinn reminded Andrew, laughing.

"I swear I didn't do it on purpose." Nathan said, letting out a small sigh.

"We believe you, Nate." Lydia laughed, smiling at him.

"I'm your son, and you believe him over me?" Andrew frowned, shaking his head.

"Andrew, calm down." Natasha said, shaking her head.

"Yeah, he didn't mean to do it, and it was your fault anyways." Jason laughed, rolling his eyes.

"I can't believe you let Nathan beat you up. You're older than him!" Taylor said, smirking slightly.

"Okay, Taylor. Really not helping." Jason said, shaking his head.

"I'm just saying, Nathan probably did it on purpose. Payback is a bitch." Taylor hummed.

"Taylor! There are children around." Vivian scolded her, shaking her head.

"Okay, children. You are all bickering like you did when you were little. I'll send you to your rooms if I need to." Lydia laughed.

Haley shook her head, walking up to Nathan and handing him his shirt. "I'm sure if Nathan says he didn't mean to do it, then he didn't mean to do it."

"Oh, like he said that he liked you but was only trying to mess with Lucas?" Andrew said, scowling at her.

"Come on, man. Cheap shot." Nathan grumbled, shaking his head.

"Same goes for you, asshole." Andrew grumbled.

"You are totally overreacting!" Brandon laughed, pushing Andrew softly.

"Do you want to fight me?" Andrew asked, turning to his older brother.

"Come at me." Brandon said, shaking his head and shoving him into Jason.

"Guys, leave me out of this." Jason said, shoving Andrew back towards Brandon.

"I'll fight you too, Jason. With your stupid ass remarks." Andrew said, turning towards him and pushing him softly.

"I will take you down, Andrew. You aren't tough. You're scrawny." Jason scowled, shoving him again.

"Then take me down." Andrew said, bumping his chest against Jason's.

Jason rolled his eyes, pulling Andrew into a headlock, while Brandon punched him in the stomach.

"Boys!" Lydia yelled, looking over at Jimmy and shaking her head.

Jared and Nathan both rushed forward, separating them quickly.

"This is absolutely ridiculous!" Lydia said, shaking her head.

Brandon, Andrew, and Jason's wives all rushed forward. They separated them out into different rooms of the house, looking just as annoyed with them as they did with each other.

"Yikes." Vivian said softly, shaking her head. "That was unexpected. I guess when Nathan is around they need to prove their masculinity."

"Oh come on, Viv. That was all their own stupidity. It has nothing to do with Nathan." Haley said, shaking her head and kissing Nathan's cheek softly.

"That was hilarious, though. I wish I had my camera with me." Quinn laughed, shrugging.

"It was very third grade of them." Lydia shook her head, looking at Nathan. "Are you alright?" She asked him.

"Uh... Yeah. Yep. I'm fine, I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to do it." Nathan said, scratching his neck softly.

"No, don't apologize. They're idiots." Jimmy laughed, shrugging. "Best birthday present ever, seeing those three go insane. I forgot what it was like to be a parent."

"I hope that they get a stern talking to. That used to be our job, and I'm kind of glad we don't have to do it anymore." Lydia laughed, nodding.

"I really didn't do it on purpose." Nathan let out a deep breath.

"We know, Nathan. We're all just upset we missed the chance on seeing you without your shirt." Lydia joked, shaking her head.

"Yeah, well... I'm not leaving until tomorrow so there's still a chance." He chuckled, wrapping his arm around Haley's shoulders.

"You guys are ridiculous." Haley said softly, leaning into Nathan and smiling slightly.

"You love us." Nathan hummed, kissing her head and sighing softly. "I liked this shirt."

"Shouldn't have given it up then." Taylor hummed, smirking at him.

"It was my fault, so I decided I probably should be generous." He chuckled, throwing the shirt away.

"If you run out of clothes, you can borrow mine." Taylor hummed in response.

"What clothes?" He replied, smirking slightly when Haley slapped his arm.

"Exactly." Taylor smirked, winking at him and walking out of the room.

"Taylor." Lydia laughed, shaking her head.

"Have to love all your children equally." Jimmy said, smiling.

"Amen to that. Now... What do you say we all go watch a movie? Something child appropriate so the kids can watch it too." Lydia suggested, nodding at them and heading into the living room.

Nathan and Haley laid in bed a few hours later, Haley's head rested on his chest, his arm wrapped around her.

"I forgot what it feels like to sleep next to you with clothes on." Haley hummed, draping one leg over his, smiling at him.

"Mm? What's better?" Nathan chuckled, looking down at her.

"They're equal." She replied, kissing his cheek. "I can't believe you beat up my brother."

"Hey! It was an accident. I can't believe your brothers got in a fight." He laughed, rolling his eyes.

"They're idiots. I've told you that a thousand times." She chuckled, nuzzling her nose against his neck.

"You have some fire in you too, Haley James." He said softly.

"Oh yeah? Name one time." She laughed, shaking her head.

"Senior year, like a month before graduation, you slapped Rachel Gatina for flirting with me." Nathan laughed, kissing her forehead.

"Okay, well... That's because she was a bitch. Probably still is a bitch." She grumbled, flattening her hand over his chest. "I have to talk to you about something."

"We aren't breaking up already, are we?" He asked, frowning.

Haley shook her head quickly, kissing him softly. "Of course not, baby." She hummed. "So, I'm planning on going back to New York with you tomorrow."

"You are?" He asked, his eyes lighting up.

"You bet I am. I missed you so much. I just want to fall asleep next to you for a little while longer, before I have to head back to California." She hummed, nodding. "But..."

"But?" He questioned, raising his eyebrows.

"So Quinn and her husband are getting divorced. And I was thinking... Maybe she could come with us? It would be nice to have the company while you're at your away games." Haley said softly, biting her lip.

"Divorced? Wow, that sucks." Nathan frowned, looking down at her. "Uh... Yeah. That sounds like a good idea. She probably needs you right now. I know when I'm down in the dumps, spending time with a Haley James always makes me feel better. And if you're not available, I put out ads." He joked, nodding at her.

"Good to know." Haley laughed, kissing him again. "I love you, Nathan." She said softly, smiling at him.

"I love you too, baby. Maybe you can tell Quinn to give us a couple of days? Just so we can have a little bit more alone time." He suggested, raising his eyebrows.

"I think that sounds perfect." Haley said softly, running her fingers through Nathan's hair, smiling at him.

Nathan grinned, nuzzling his nose against hers. "Yeah, well I think that you're perfect." He said softly.

She rolled her eyes, pulling him closer to her. "I think that we're perfect."


	16. Chapter 16

**Finding The Way Back**

 **Okay, just to let everyone know, I've decided on Leyton and Brulian. I'm sorry if people are disappointed, and I understand if you don't continue reading this story, but it is a Naley story so the other pairings will only play a minor role.**

 **Chapter 16**

Nathan felt around the empty bed, lifting his head up and looking around, frowning when he didn't see Haley in the room. He stood up slowly, pulling on a t-shirt and basketball shorts, heading out of the room. He found Haley in the kitchen, standing by the stove with her back to him, humming softly. He stood there for a second, watching and admiring her. She was wearing one of his old t-shirts. She was so beautiful, and he was so damn lucky to have her all to himself once again. Nathan smiled, walking up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist. "Hey beautiful." He hummed softly, kissing her head.

Haley smiled, leaning back against him. "Hey." She said softly, glancing up at him.

"You know... I really like having you living with me. You make me breakfast, and I get to wake up to you every day." He whispered, nuzzling his nose into her neck.

"Mm... But I don't live here." She replied, smiling slightly.

"Stop fighting it. This is your home. You picked out all the furniture. I'm sure you've been looking at new bedspreads for me too, because I know you hate the one I have." He chuckled, gently biting down on her shoulder.

"I don't hate it." Haley said, shaking her head and laughing quietly.

"Mhm. I'm just saying, you live here. And when I'm in California, I'm sure as hell not getting a hotel room so I live in your house too." He shrugged, smirking slightly.

"But what if I don't want you to live in my house, hm?" She asked him, shaking her head.

"That's too bad, isn't it?" Nathan said softly, sucking on the crook of her neck softly.

"I guess I'll just have to deal with it." She replied, closing her eyes for a second, before turning her attention to the stove. "I have to go pick up Quinn soon, and you have practice." She reminded him.

"Look at us. You're already memorizing my schedule. We're like a married couple." He said, smirking and tightening his arms around her waist.

Haley rolled her eyes, chuckling quietly. "Maybe we can meet up for lunch?"

"Yeah, sounds good." He hummed, kissing the side of her head. "Let's talk for a second." He said softly, moving away from her, sitting on the counter next to the stove.

"About what?" She asked, frowning at him and raising her eyebrows.

Nathan let out a deep breath, looking down for a second. "This is kind of scary for me to say out loud, so give me a second." He said softly, kicking his legs a bit.

Haley looked at him, beginning to worry a bit. He had gone from playful, to looking serious and nervous in a matter of seconds.

"I love you, Haley. So, so much. I know, we just got back together, but I don't know if my heart ever truly left yours." He began, sending her a small smile. "Being next to you feels right. It's always felt right. Holding your hand feels natural, like it's meant to be with mine."

"What's going on, Nathan?" She asked him softly, resting her hand on his leg.

"See that? That little touch... It calms me down in a matter of seconds. You make me happy. So incredibly happy, and I definitely don't deserve you." He said, resting his hand on top of hers.

"Are you okay?" Haley asked him, squeezing his hand softly.

"Yeah. I just hate being away from you. So the thought of waking up next to you every morning, actually makes this a little easier." Nathan smiled, leaning over and kissing her softly. "I think I'm going to announce my retirement. This is my last season."

Haley raised her eyebrows, shaking her head. "No. Absolutely not, Nathan. You aren't going to do this." She said quickly, scowling slightly.

"Haley, come on." He frowned, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't want to be away from you."

"Nathan, we can do exactly what you said. I'll be here when I can be, and you can be in California when your schedule allows it. You love this game, baby. I don't want you to give it up." She said quickly.

"It's just a game, Haley. You're more important to me." He said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Nathan, I think you're moving a little too fast, alright?" She said softly, turning her attention back to the stove.

"Haley, we both know where this relationship is headed." He frowned at her.

"We might know. But there is not guarantee. You aren't doing this. I don't want you to." She said, shaking her head.

"We do know. I know that I'm going to marry you. And I refuse to live in different states. I don't like being so far away from you." He sighed, leaning back against the cupboards.

"We just got back together, Nathan. What if things don't work out and you're giving up your dream? Please don't do this. There are other ways around this. We can cross that bridge if we come to it, alright?" She said softly, looking at him again, grabbing his hand and kissing it softly.

"Don't bring this up to Clay when you see him, alright?" He said softly.

"I won't. Because this isn't going to happen. Please don't do this." She nodded, letting out a deep breath.

"We'll see what happens." Nathan shrugged, looking at her and sighing softly. "But I do love you a lot, so I will take your opinion into consideration."

Haley looked over at him again, nodding her head. "Thank you. Now I'm going to go shower while you eat breakfast, then I have to go." She headed out of the room, before stopping and looking at him. "I love you too." She hummed, winking at him and heading into the bedroom.

Nathan and Clay walked into the restaurant Haley had told them to meet at, looking around for her.

"Listen, Clay... Haley's sister is going through a lot right now. And she's married, so don't say anything stupid." Nathan grumbled, running his fingers through his hair.

"Come on, man. I don't ever say anything stupid." Clay said, laughing quietly.

"When you met Lindsey for the first time you accidentally called her Peyton several times." Nathan chuckled, rolling his eyes.

"Okay, I see your point." Clay laughed, slinging his arm around Nathan's shoulders.

"Okay, there she is." Nathan said, nodding once he saw Haley and Quinn.

"She's hot." Clay commented, smirking slightly.

"Hey, that's my girlfriend." Nathan joked, elbowing his friend and leading him over to the table. "Hey. I brought Clay along, he's sort of missed me the past couple days." He chuckled, smirking at his friend, leaning over and kissing Haley softly.

Clay sat down, shaking his head. "You guys are up to kissing in public now? Gross." He laughed, smiling at Quinn. "Hi, I'm Clay. Nathan's best friend."

"You should of seen them at my dad's birthday party." Quinn laughed, nodding at him. "I'm Quinn. I'll be Nathan's favorite sister in law, well... Out of the two he hasn't slept with." She said, smirking.

"Nice." Clay laughed, shaking his head.

Nathan took a seat next to Clay, rolling his eyes. "I like Vivian a lot more than you, Quinn."

"Sure you do, Nathan. I'm everyone's favorite." Quinn shrugged her shoulders.

"No you aren't. You're my favorite, but I'm everyone else's favorite." Haley laughed, grabbing Nathan's hand, squeezing it softly.

"I believe that." Nathan hummed, kissing Haley's knuckles.

"You have to say that, man." Clay laughed, rolling his eyes. "I hope this PDA thing doesn't last for very long. Look at them, they're having eye sex." He laughed.

Haley kicked Clay under the table, rolling her eyes. "Shut up, Clay."

"They actually paid for a hotel room after the game in Charlotte so they could have sex." Quinn informed Clay, laughing quietly.

"Nice." Clay laughed, nudging Nathan with his elbow.

"I don't like where this conversation is heading. How was practice?" Haley asked, smiling at Nathan.

"Nathan is a stud, Haley. You got lucky. I watched the last fifteen minutes of his practice, and I almost wished that I was you." Clay laughed, shrugging his shoulders.

"Oh yeah?" Haley laughed, smiling across the table at Nathan. "What did you do that was so great?"

"Nothing, Clay just worships the ground I walk on." Nathan laughed, rolling his eyes.

"It's the Rainstorm body spray that gets me every time." Clay hummed, leaning over and smelling Nathan's shoulder.

"Dude, get the hell away from me. I don't even wear that stuff." Nathan laughed, shoving Clay softly.

"Oh come on. You love it, Nathan." Quinn laughed, shaking her head.

"We should've just gone to lunch, Haley. Just the two of us." Nathan grumbled, sighing softly.

Haley smiled at him, squeezing his hand lightly. She couldn't help but feel like things were a little uncomfortable between them after their conversation this morning, and she knew that it wasn't over. "Next time." She hummed, nodding her head at him.

"That's cold, Hales. I thought you were warming up to me?" Clay laughed, smiling.

"I think you were already pretty cosy after you were hitting on we at Brooke's charity event." Nathan chuckled, smirking slightly.

"Hey! I apologized to you, and you said it was fine. You even told me to go for it." Clay said, shrugging his shoulders. "Good thing I took your advice and knew that you definitely weren't okay with it."

"So Clay could've been my date. Nice." Haley joked, looking over at Clay and winking.

"You would not have wanted him, Haley James. He's a handful." Nathan chuckled, shaking his head.

"Why do you feel the need to attack me like that?" Clay fake pouted, looking over at Quinn. "Besides, it's not like he's any better than me."

"Believe me, Nathan is a handful too." Quinn laughed, looking over at her sister's boyfriend.

"I'm innocent." Nathan shrugged, shaking his head and smirking.

Haley laughed, raising her eyebrows at him. "Yeah, Nathan never does anything wrong."

"He punched our brother on our dad's birthday." Quinn informed Clay.

"Oh yeah, he was telling me about that." Clay laughed.

"I didn't punch him!" Nathan defending himself, shaking his head. "I don't take basketball lightly. He was his own damn fault, he was in my way." He grumbled.

"Someone is a little heated." Quinn laughed, shrugging.

"Nathan, we know you didn't hit him. All of us do, except for him. But even if you did, he deserved it." Haley hummed, brushing her thumb over his knuckles.

"I thought it was funny when he punched you at Thanksgiving." Quinn hummed, smiling at him.

"Why'd he punch you?" Clay laughed, looking over at Nathan.

"I beat him in football. I don't know why their brothers keep trying to compete with me in sports, I always win." Nathan said, smirking.

"Don't be cocky." Quinn laughed, rolling her eyes.

Haley shook her head, "I still can't believe he punched you." She sighed, shaking her head.

"James family parties sound interesting." Clay laughed, raising his eyebrows.

"They're the most interesting when Nathan is around because all of our brothers have to step up the machoness." Quinn replied, rolling her eyes. "I've missed having you around, Nate. I could ask Brandon to help me open a jar, and the next thing I know Andrew and Jason are there and ready to help." She laughed.

"Oh, come on. That doesn't really happen." Nathan chuckled.

"It does. I think you intimidate them. Even Brandon, and he's like 36." Quinn said to him, shrugging. "Haley has the coolest job, and the coolest boyfriend."

"Was that a compliment?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Don't let it get to your head." Quinn shook her head, rolling her eyes.

"Well... I'm ready to order." Haley said, looking over at Nathan and setting down her menu.

The rest of the day went on the same as lunch; spent with Clay and Quinn, with a lot of light hearted and easy conversations.

Once Quinn was settled in the guest room, Haley let out a deep breath and walked into Nathan's room, smiling at his sleeping form. She quietly got ready for bed, before laying down next to him, letting out a deep breath.

Five minutes, ten minutes passed and sleep would not overcome her. She let out an annoyed sigh, rolling on her side and looking at the man next to her. She took a moment to admire him. It still surprised her a little bit when she found him right there, almost like he was a dream. A dream. Would he really give up his dream for her? What if they didn't work out and he just threw it all away for nothing? He seemed pretty determined that they were going to work out, but they had been together for nearly four years, and they hasn't worked out then. What if they were just in love with the idea of each other, and had changed so much that they were kidding themselves?

"Haley, how the hell am I supposed to sleep with you thinking so loudly?" Nathan grumbled, blinking his eyes open and rolling on his side so he was facing her.

"I'm sorry." Haley responded, letting out a deep breath. "I'm just thinking about our conversation this morning."

"Stop thinking about it. Whatever I do is my decision." He said, shrugging slightly.

"But if it affects both of us, wouldn't it be partly my decision?" She asked him softly.

"No, it's my dream. And I get to decide when I'm done with it." He said, shaking his head and propping his head up.

"Your dream. I don't want you to give it up, Nathan." She said, resting her hand on his side.

"I'll take that into consideration, but you're more important to me than basketball is." He replied.

"We've been dating for a few days, Nathan. You can't make determinations like that." She said, sighing.

"I can do whatever I want, Haley James. I'm an adult, you know?" He said, laying back down on his back, staring up at the ceiling.

Haley sat up slowly, looking down at him. "I'm serious, Nathan. What if this doesn't work out, and you give up basketball? What then?"

"I don't need to worry, because this will work out." Nathan hummed, rolling his eyes.

"But you don't really know that, do you? Unless you have some magic device that let's you see into the future?" She said, sighing softly.

"I feel it. When I'm around you. I know that you're the girl I want to wake up to every morning. I don't want to wake up on the opposite side of the country as you, and text you good morning. I want to be there with you, and I want to say it to you. Don't you want that with me, Haley?" He asked her, frowning.

"Of course, Nathan. I just don't want you to have any regrets." She said softly, sighing.

"I already have one big one. Letting you go. I'm not going to make the same mistake again." He said, shaking his head.

"I think you're making a mistake by even considering giving up basketball. I could move here, you know. Red Bedroom isn't the only recording studio." She said, looking down at him.

"Don't do that to Peyton." He frowned, shaking his head.

"Brooke lives here, and I wouldn't mind living closer to Brooke." Haley said, shrugging.

"Hales, knock it off. Just go to bed. I've had a good few years." He said, closing his eyes.

"A lot of people play in the NBA for over ten years, Nathan." She sighed, running her fingers through her hair.

"You're right. They do. But I don't know if I will, Haley. It's my choice, so drop it please." He said, shaking his head.

"Nathan..." She sighed, shaking her head.

"If we're just going to talk about this, let's just go to sleep. I have a game tomorrow in Atlanta." Nathan grumbled.

She looked down at him, slowly laying down, resting her head on his shoulder. "I just don't want you to lose your dream."

"You're my dream, Haley." He sighed, kissing her head.

"You're so cheesy." Haley laughed, kissing his chest softly.

"I try." He hummed, hugging her close to him. "I'll take everything you tell me into consideration, Hales. But in the end it's my decision."

Haley sighed softly, closing her eyes and hugging him close, throwing her leg over his. "I love you, Nathan. I'm so glad we found out way back."

Nathan grinned at her, "I'm glad, baby. I love you too."


	17. Chapter 17

**Finding The Way Back**

 **Another update. This one is a little bit short, sorry!**

 **Chapter 17**

It had been one month since Haley had gotten home from tour, and the majority of that was spent in New York with Nathan. But how, much to both of their dismay, she was back in California. After a month off, she had become pretty busy with interviews, and working on new songs. Nathan had been fairly busy with basketball, and they hadn't had a chance to see each other since she had returned to California.

Haley was currently getting ready for an interview, while Peyton and Brooke were talking behind her.

"No, Peyton. Nathan is going to propose to her by next week. I guarantee it." Brooke said, shaking her head.

"I dated Nathan, Brooke. I know him. He may not be the exact same guy I dated, but he'll wait at least a few months." Peyton replied, shrugging.

"Well, I've slept with Nathan and I know he likes to get it done." Brooke hummed, smirking slightly.

"Oh, I remember. I'm pretty sure there was an overlap." Peyton laughed, shaking her head.

"Just like there was an overlap with you loving Lucas both times I dated him." Brooke said, laughing quietly.

"Okay, enough out of you two." Haley laughed, standing up. "How do I look?"

"Gorgeous, as usual." Brooke hummed, smiling at her.

"You look beautiful." Peyton said, nodding at her. "Stealing everyone's hearts and selling a lot of records. What more could I ask for?" She nodded. "You ready to go out there?"

"Hell yes. I've missed performing." Haley hummed softly, nodding her head.

"Don't you perform for Nate like every night?" Brooke said, smirking slightly. "You know that they're going to talk about him, right?"

"Yeah, I know. They always want to talk about him." Haley nodded, shrugging. "It's fine, I'm quite fond of him. But now I have to go. I will see you two in a little bit. Stay out of trouble." She hummed, hurrying out of the room.

After performing a few songs, Haley sat down in one of the chairs, smiling out at the audience, waving.

"So, Haley James." Cynthia Jackson, the woman who was interviewing her began, sitting down across from her. "How're you doing today?"

"I'm doing excellent. I'm happy to be here. What about you?" Haley said, nodding at her.

"I'm doing great, thanks for asking. Those songs were all amazing. I had the opportunity to go see you perform while you were on tour, and it was great." Cynthia hummed. "Did you enjoy it?"

"Oh, I absolutely loved it. There's nothing like it, at all. It's so much fun." Haley said, smiling. "And I loved meeting all my fans. Everyone is so nice."

"So... When can we expect to hear some new music from you?" Cynthia asked, leaning forward a bit. "I know, I know... You just got home from touring, but I know that I'm always looking forward to hearing more, and I know everyone else is too." She hummed.

"Well, I've been feeling very... Inspired as of lately." Haley responded, smiling. "So hopefully soon."

"Inspired, hm? This wouldn't have anything to do with the tall, dark, and handsome man that you've been spending a lot of time?" Cynthia asked her, winking.

"What would he have anything to do that?" Haley laughed sarcastically, smiling brightly. "No, yeah. You could say that I've found a new inspiration."

"I recall at the beginning of the year, you told my dear friend Janice that there was nothing going on between the two of you." Cynthia said, raising her eyebrows. "And then, shortly after that there was a picture of the two of you kissing on New Years Eve."

Haley laughed, looking down and crossing her legs. "Yeah, well..." She trailed off, shrugging.

"And, let's see. You were spotted at his game in New York a week later, then you two were furniture shopping together. Have I missed anything?" Cynthia asked her, raising her eyebrows.

"Nope, I think you covered it." Haley hummed, smiling.

"And he was trying to be lowkey, but he was spotted at one of your concerts as well. Now, how's your year going?" Cynthia laughed, smirking at her.

"I guess you could say that it's going pretty well." Haley shrugged, nodding at her.

"Since we're on the topic of Nathan. Let's talk about the baby rumors that are going around." Cynthia began, tapping her fingers on the arm of the chair.

"Baby rumors? That was a joke, I promise. That was my brother's baby." Haley laughed, shaking her head. Nathan had posted the picture of the two of them holding her niece, and captioned it 'Did we have a baby this weekend?' It obviously was fake, but people still talked about it.

"What? Oh, no. That's not what I'm talking about, though that did raise a few eyebrows." Cynthia said, shaking her head. "I'm talking about the rumors that are going around about him getting a woman by the name of Renee Richardson pregnant?"

"Excuse me?" Haley asked, raising her eyebrows.

"According to her, she's about three months pregnant, which would put her and Nathan back to about right after you left on tour." Cynthia informed her, nodding.

Haley sat silently for a second, biting down on her lip. "Huh." She finally said. "Well..." Her brain searched for something to say, anything to change the subject. She glanced out into the audience, noting a few surprised faces, but mostly concerned. "I'm actually planning on releasing a new song in about two weeks. Just one that I've been working on. I was going to let it be a surprise, but I'm just excited so I had to let it slip." She finished.

"That's nice." Cynthia frowned, nodding slowly. "So the Nathan Scott thing must be a surprise to you, huh? Now why do you think he wouldn't tell you about it?"

"Nathan is a great guy. I don't really think that this is any of your business, is it?" Haley said, scowling slightly. "I don't mean to sound rude, but I'm not here to talk about Nathan, or about any of this. I'm here to talk about my tour, and my music." She defended him, shaking her head. "If that's all you'd like to talk about, then we may as well end this here. All I'm going to say is that Nathan is an amazing guy, and rumors are just that, rumors." She finished, shaking her head.

The rest of the interview was slightly awkward, but Cynthia didn't stray to the Nathan topic again. Haley's mind on the other hand, couldn't seem to get away from it. Was it true? It could be. They weren't technically together that the time, so did she have a right to be upset if it was? Why hadn't he told her about this?

Brooke had taken her back home, while Peyton left to go get food for the three of them. Brooke had tried so hard to make conversation in the car, assuring Haley that it wasn't true, and that people don't know what they're talking about, but Haley was just quiet and lost in thought.

Peyton had arrived at Haley's place about half an hour after her two friends, and they all sat on the couch, eating ice cream.

After awhile of silence, Peyton looked over at Haley. "I don't think it's true, Haley." She said finally, letting out a small sigh.

"Yeah, I agree. There's no way. Nathan loves you." Brooke frowned, shaking her head.

"We weren't dating." Haley reminded them, letting out a deep breath, squeezing her eyes shut.

"You practically were. You were on the road, but you didn't have any one night stands." Brooke shrugged.

"Haley isn't a one night stand kind of person." Peyton reminded her, "But Nathan might be." She said softly.

"Yo! P. Sawyer, we're trying to convince her that he didn't do it." Brooke said, shaking her head. "He didn't do that to you, buddy. I saw him a few times while you were on tour, and he wouldn't give anyone a second glance. He didn't do it."

"Haley, he loves you." Peyton said softly, smiling at her. "Regardless of what's true, and what's not. He loves you."

"What if he did do it? Why wouldn't he tell me? I'm assuming since everyone knew but me, that he knows too." Haley said, covering her face. "Did you two know?"

"I didn't." Peyton said, shaking her head.

"I didn't either." Brooke confirmed, "And it must not be that big of a story because if it was, I would know about it."

"Maybe we should just talk about something else. Get your mind off of it." Peyton suggested, looking over at Brooke.

"How's Quinn doing?" Brooke asked after a moment of silence, smiling slightly.

"She seems happy. She's becoming pretty good friends with Nathan's agent, Clay." Haley said softly.

"Ah, yes. I know Clay. Often tries to pick up women by promising I'll give them free clothing. Watch out for him." Brooke laughed, trying to brighten Haley's mood.

"I don't think Quinn is looking to find a relationship right now. Her divorce isn't even final yet." Haley said softly, brushing her fingers through her hair.

"I need to find a man." Brooke said, sighing. "Maybe you guys should start setting me up on blind dates. I'm not getting any younger."

"Please, if I had anyone to date I would be dating him." Peyton laughed. "There's always Chris Keller."

"Hell no." Brooke laughed, shaking her head.

"You guys shouldn't have any trouble finding men. You're both amazing." Haley said, smiling at them.

"It's just hard to find a guy that wants Brooke, rather than Brooke Davis." Brooke said softly, leaning back. "Look at us, this is turning into an ice cream pity party. Join the club, Peyton."

"I'm just having trouble getting over the fact that Lucas is getting married." Peyton sighed, shaking her head.

"Exactly! So much drama. I think I want to go back to Tree Hill for a little while." Brooke said, shrugging.

"Me too." Haley agreed, letting out a deep breath. "I think I just want to be lowkey for awhile."

"If you both are going then I have to go. I'll just fly back when I need to be here." Peyton hummed, nodding.

"Yes! This is a good plan. It's been awhile since I've been back. I love New York, but Tree Hill is home." Brooke nodded her head. "I've thought of opening up a store there, and moving back. But Victoria says it wouldn't make it."

"So? Your mom's a bitch. It's your company, B. Davis. You made it happen." Peyton pointed out, nodding her head. "If you want to open a store there, then you open a store there."

"I want to move back there too, eventually. I love California though, and I love the weather, but the weather in North Carolina is nice too. But I've also been thinking of moving to New York." Haley sighed, rubbing her eyes.

"Really?" Brooke asked, raising her eyebrows. "To be with Nathan?"

"You guys can't tell anyone this, okay? But Nathan told me he wants to retire and move out here so he doesn't have to be so far away from me. I don't want that, though. I want him to live his dream. Plus, he keeps telling me that we're going to get married soon, and I love him so much, but this is all happening so fast, and I'm worried that he'll regret giving up his dream. We're different people than we were when we were dating. This is basically a whole new relationship, right? I mean, you don't date someone for a week and then tell them you're quitting your dream to be with them." Haley said, letting out a deep breath.

Peyton and Brooke looked at each other, laughing.

"Honey, you're both pretty similar to the same people you were before. This isn't a new relationship, and you'll make it all the way. I know it. You hear that boy? That sounds like a boy- no, a man that's in love. I really don't think he knocked that girl up." Brooke said, rubbing Haley's arm.

Haley let out a deep breath, biting her lip softly. "I hope you're right, Brooke. But I can't be mad, because it's my fault. I told him that I didn't want to be with him until my tour was over. He didn't do anything wrong if it is his baby." She said quietly.

"I doubt it is, Haley. I doubt he even slept with her, or even knows who she is. He wouldn't do that to you, Haley." Brooke said softly, glancing at Peyton.

Peyton stood up slowly when there was a loud knock at the door. "I'll get it, Hales." She said, nodding at her friend.

She walked to the front door, pulling it open, seeing Nathan standing in front of her.


	18. Chapter 18

**Finding The Way Back**

 **Chapter 18**

"Uh, hey Peyton." Nathan said, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Is Haley here?" He asked her.

Peyton let out a deep breath, raising her eyebrows at him. "That depends on what you need to say to her."

"I'm not here to play games, Sawyer. Just let me in, then get lost." He responded in a snappy tone, shaking his head.

"Damn." Peyton said, stepping aside and letting Nathan into the house.

"Who was at the door?" Haley called out from the living room.

"Just a solicitor!" Peyton replied, shaking her head and motioning for Nathan to follow her into the living room.

Haley looked up from her ice cream, frowning slightly. "Nathan." She said, raising her eyebrows.

"Haley." Nathan replied, nodding at her.

"Brooke, remember that thing that we had to do?" Peyton said softly, nodding at the dark haired girl.

Brooke sighed softly, standing up. "Oh right. That thing. Bye Haley, call me later, alright?" She said, nodding at her, hugging her quickly. "Bye Nate." She hummed, hugging him, before letting Peyton drag her out of the room.

Haley examined Nathan, sighing softly. His appearance didn't provide her with any comfort or relief. His hair was messy, probably from running his fingers through it so much. He looked nervous, and stressed out. His eyes weren't as bright and they usually were, that alone causing a feeling of dread in her stomach.

"Ice cream? Now why would you need that?" Nathan attempted to joke, letting out a small sigh.

"I thought you were supposed to be in Boston." Haley said, biting down on her lip and looking up at him.

"Tomorrow." He said, rubbing his neck lightly. "This is the first time I've been in your house. It's nice." He hummed, looking around. "It reminds me of you. Kind of like my house is starting to remind me of you as well."

"Nathan..." Haley trailed off, letting out a deep breath and standing up.

"I should've called before I came, I know. I just missed you." He said softly. "I can't wait to move here. New York isn't home."

"Nathan..." Haley said again, closing her eyes.

"I'm serious, Hales. The season is almost over. Maybe we should move to somewhere in Europe and get away from everyone. We could get married in London." He said softly, sighing.

"Nathan!" Haley snapped, stepping towards him. "Dammit. I love you, Nathan. I do. But you're throwing yourself into something I don't know if I'm ready for, okay?" She said, poking his chest softly. Okay, that wasn't technically true. If Nathan had proposed to her in five minutes, her answer would most likely be yes. But he was stalling, which worried her even more. She watched as his face fell, and he slouched a little bit, before nodding his head.

"I guess we should probably talk, huh?" Nathan whispered, hitting his fists together and sitting down on the couch, picking up the TV remote and turning it off. He rested his elbows on his knees, pressing his face into his hands.

"I guess we should." Haley said softly, looking down at him. She took a seat next to him, clearing her throat.

"I just want to say thank you, for defending me. You're amazing, Haley." He said softly, letting out a deep breath. "You mean the world to me."

"Nathan." Haley said, frowning slightly. "Is it true?"

Nathan looked at her, sitting up straight and grabbing her hand, squeezing it softly. "I'm not done talking, Haley. Please let me finish."

"I don't think you have to, Nathan." She replied, biting her lip softly.

"I'm so in love with you, and I've been so in love with you for a long time. Now tell me something, do you think that I did it?" He asked her, looking at her.

Haley was at a loss for words. Did she think he did it? Her heart was telling her to say no, she didn't doubt him. But her brain and her instincts were screaming at her that he did it. They weren't together at the time, so he could've done it. But he'd been telling her that he loved her before she left, and he'd called her all the time and told her how much he loved her. But he went to a lot of parties, and getting drunk and having meaningless sex was no stranger to him. She had no idea what to say to him, but she knew she had to say something.

"I don't know." Haley eventually said, looking down.

Nathan frowned, nodding slowly. "Wow." He said softly, tapping his hands on his leg, standing up. "That means yes, Haley."

"Nathan, it's not like we were together! You could've slept with whoever you wanted and I would've had no say in it." She shrugged. "Accidents happen, Nathan. It's not like birth control is 100% guaranteed. Whether it's true or not, I have no right to be upset with you."

"It's nice to know how highly you think of me, Haley." He said sarcastically, letting out a deep breath.

"What, Nathan? I'm being totally understanding here. Is it true? I have a right to know." She asked him, standing up and resting her hands on her hips.

"Totally understanding." Nathan laughed bitterly, shaking his head and letting out a deep breath. "You decided that I was guilty before you even heard what I had to say."

"You look guilty, Nathan." Haley said, shrugging.

"Oh, my mistake. You look like a girl I know but you aren't acting like her." He grumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"That's not fair." She scowled, sighing softly. "Just tell me if it's true or not, Nathan."

"It's not true. I didn't sleep with that woman." Nathan said, shaking his head. "Whether you believe me or not, that's you're decision."

"You're being totally unfair to me, Nathan!" She retaliated, rolling her eyes.

"No. You just accused me of cheating on you." He said, crossing his arms.

"I didn't say that. We weren't dating. I said that you could've knocked up whoever the hell you wanted, and I can't say anything about it." She said, shaking her head.

"You may not have been committed to me, but I was committed to you." He shrugged.

Haley looked at him, shaking her head. "I didn't accuse you of anything, Nathan. I just asked you for the truth."

"You accused me, Haley. Maybe not on purpose, but the second I walked in here you assumed the worst." Nathan said, shaking his head. "Not to mention you crushed my hopes and dreams by telling me you didn't want to marry me."

"I didn't say that either! Stop twisting my words." She said, frowning.

"Can't you tell how much I love you? Why would you even think that I would do that to you?" He asked her, sighing softly.

"Nathan, come on! We weren't together. You have your needs." She shrugged, shaking her head.

"You have your needs too, Haley. Now tell me, did you sleep with someone else while you were on tour?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows. "I've heard that rockstars don't care about feelings, and people don't matter. I've heard that they whore around when they're on the road. I guess they were right when it came to you, huh?"

Haley frowned at him, and before she knew was she was doing, she had slapped him across the face. "Don't you dare talk to me like that, Nathan Scott. Don't go back to being that asshole 16 year old boy." She snapped. "In fact... Why don't you get the hell out of my house? Go to Boston, knock someone up. I don't care."

Nathan hung his head slightly, raising his hand to his cheek and staring down at the ground. "I didn't sleep with her." He said softly.

"Leave, Nathan." She said, biting her lip softly.

"Haley." He whispered, his voice cracking slightly.

"No, don't." She shook her head, pointing towards the door.

"I love you, though." He said softly, falling to his knees in front of her, wrapping his arms around her legs. "Don't break up with me."

"I love you too, Nathan. But I can't deal with this right now. I'm not breaking up with you, I just need some space." She said, looking down at him. It took everything in her willpower not to hold him close to her and make sure he was alright, but what he had just said to her was unacceptable. There was no way she was going to allow him to talk to her like that.

Nathan slowly stood up, clearing his throat. "Sorry you don't trust me." He grumbled.

"Stop it, Nathan. Before you make it worse." Haley sighed, leading him to the front door, before stopping. "How long have you known about her?" She asked him, looking over her shoulder.

"A few weeks." He responded, sighing softly.

"A few means three or more." She frowned, nodding at him.

"Three weeks." He confirmed, looking away.

"So you knew for the majority of the time I was at your house, and didn't tell me." Haley said, shaking her head.

"It's my problem, Haley. Not yours. Why should you have to deal with it?" He grumbled.

"You know, why don't you call me when you get out of that mind set." Haley said, shaking her head. She moved to pull the door open, before it was opened for her.

She looked up to see her ex-boyfriend, Dylan walking in.

Nathan raised his eyebrows, looking over at Dylan, then at Haley.

Haley covered her eyes, letting out a deep breath and sighing. "What do you want, Dylan?" She asked him, shaking her head.

"I was just in the neighborhood and thought: Hm? You know who I haven't had sex with in awhile? Haley James." Dylan said, looking over at Nathan.

Nathan let out a bitter laugh, rolling his eyes and looking at Haley. "This happen often? Nice." He shook his head, pushing Dylan softly when he walked past him, hurrying out the door.

Haley sighed heavily, pointing towards the exit. "Really, Dylan? Get out. Now is not the time- wait. There never will be a time. I thought I made that pretty clear when I threw the vase at you." She grumbled, rolling her eyes.

"Who was that dude? You know I get jealous." Dylan said, smirking.

"That's my boyfriend, and he could kick your ass. And I'd let him. So get out." Haley said, shoving Dylan out. "And please, never come back." She said to him, before slamming the door in his face. She rested her back against the door, sliding down it and letting out a deep breath.

Haley pressed her face into her hands, beginning to let her tears flow. She sat there quietly like for quite awhile, before standing up. She walked into the living room, picking up her phone. Her wallpaper was a picture of her and Nathan that Quinn had taken of them while they were out and about one day. It wasn't anything spectacular, just them looking at each other. But the way Nathan was looking at her in the picture made her heart race. She bit down on her lip gently, wiping her eyes and sucking in a deep breath.

After staring at the picture for a second, she called Brooke, who answered on the first ring.

"How'd it go?" Brooke asked quickly.

"Not well. Let's just say, I had a feeling he did it, and maybe was a little accusing, and he told me he didn't. Then he called me a whore, and I slapped him. And then when he was leaving, Dylan walked in wanting sex. So now I look like a whore and he's gone." Haley said softly, sitting down on the couch and picking up one of the pillows, hugging it to her chest.

"Dylan is an idiot. I never liked him. I'm going to need more of the story. I'm on my way over there with Peyton. I love you, Haley James. See you in a little bit." Brooke said quickly.

Haley let out a deep breath, closing her eyes. "I'll see you in a bit."


	19. Chapter 19

**Finding The Way Back**

 **Chapter 19**

"And then what happened?" Lucas asked, sitting down on Nathan's couch, shaking his head.

"I said some things, that I probably should not have said." Nathan replied, pacing around the room.

"What did you say?" Lucas asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I don't want to tell you." Nathan sighed, closing his eyes.

"Just tell me." Lucas grumbled, looking at him.

"I may have called her something that was very disrespectful." Nathan sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "A whore."

Lucas stood up, grabbing Nathan by the shirt and forcing him into the wall. "You're an idiot, you know that? I already lost Haley once because your stupid ass lied to me, and now you're going around saying stuff like this." He snapped.

Nathan glared at Lucas, shoving him away. "I know, Lucas. I regret it, alright?" He grumbled.

"Well, have you talked since?" Lucas asked him, shoving him lightly.

Nathan sighed, "No." He responded, shaking his head.

"It's been two days, Nate!" The older of the two replied, shaking his head and punching his brother in the arm.

"I know, I know. I just don't know what to say. She thinks I'm a jack ass and that I knocked up some girl." Nathan sighed, shaking his head.

"Has she tried to talk to you?" Lucas asked.

By the way Nathan fell silent and avoided his eye contact, he knew what the answer was.

"Nathan." Lucas sighed, rubbing his hand down his face. "What did she say?"

"She's texted me a couple times, and left me some voice mails." Nathan replied, sitting down on the couch.

"What did they say?" Lucas asked, frowning at him.

Nathan pulled out his phone, sighing softly. "She texted me a few times and told me to call her."

"And the voicemails?" Lucas asked.

"They start off friendly-ish. Then they become less friendly." Nathan closed his eyes, pressing play.

"Hey Nate, it's Haley. I think we need to talk. Call me after your game." Haley's voice rang through the phone.

"Okay, that's not bad." Lucas shrugged, nodding at him.

"Nathan, please call me in the morning okay? We really need to talk. Good game." The next voicemail said.

"How many are there?" Lucas asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Like five." Nathan sighed, rubbing his eyes, clicking on the next voicemail.

"Nathan. Call me, seriously." Haley said, before letting out a deep sigh.

"Just wait, I think after that she lost all her patience with me." Nathan sighed, closing his eyes.

"Are you kidding me, Nathan? You're being an asshole. I'm not even sure you deserve this right now. Why don't you stop being a dick and call me back? I know your schedule so I know you're not asleep. You better call me back soon or else-" Haley's voice cut off mid-sentence once the voicemail ended.

"Yeah, she must have been talking too long." Nathan sighed, looking at his phone, tapping on the last one.

"You know what? When you're done acting like a five year old, give me a call. And maybe I'll answer. I'm not going to be in a one sided relationship. So if you get your shit together, I'll be in Tree Hill. Not California." And that was it. That was her last message to him.

"When was that?" Lucas asked him, frowning.

"About four hours ago." Nathan sighed, closing his eyes and shaking his head.

"Why didn't you ever call her back, Nate?" Lucas scowled, letting out a deep breath.

"I don't want her to break up with me. I deserve it, but I don't want her to." Nathan sighed, rubbing his neck.

"If you would've called her after your game she probably wouldn't break up with you." Lucas said, shaking his head.

"You think she's going to break up with me?" Nathan asked him, a panicked look in his eyes.

"I doubt it, but you should've called her. She sounds mad, so she might." Lucas shrugged.

"Then I can't talk to her." Nathan frowned, shaking his head.

"You're just going to avoid talking to her for the rest of your life so she can never break up with you?" Lucas questioned, raising his eyebrows.

"Does that sound crazy?" Nathan asked, rubbing his neck.

"Yes. Come on, Nate. It's Haley." Lucas said, frowning at him.

"I know, Lucas. But I don't know how I'll be able to face her after everything I said to her. I'm embarrassed, ashamed, and pissed at myself. And it sucks that she thinks I got this girl pregnant." Nathan sighed, closing his eyes.

"Not to be this guy... But when you were talking to her you made it seem like you did it. From what you've told me." Lucas pointed out. "Plus, this plan will never work. Ever. It doesn't take a genius to figure out your plan."

"What do you know about her ex boyfriend, Dylan?" Nathan asked him, raising his eyebrows.

"Probably about as much as you do. I've only talked to her a handful of times in the last four years." Lucas shrugged, shaking his head.

"I've done my research. They dated for quite awhile. There were rumors that they got engaged." Nathan looked down, sighing softly. "He showed up at her house."

"Nathan, don't." Lucas sighed, sitting down next to his brother. "Look, she's in Tree Hill. And you have a home game tonight, but no game tomorrow. And then the next one is in Atlanta. I'm going back to Tree Hill tomorrow morning. Why don't you come with me? You can just go Atlanta from there."

"I don't know. I'm worried about seeing her." Nathan leaned back, letting out a deep breath.

"You're going to have to face her eventually, man. Just come with me. If it ends up bad, you have to leave anyways." Lucas shrugged his shoulders.

"You're right. I need to talk to her. I need to apologize for being an ass." Nathan said, nodding his head slowly. "Looks like I'm going back to Tree Hill with you."

 **I know that Nathan is being a little immature, but never fear. Naley never fights for very long!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Finding The Way Back**

 **Chapter 20**

Nathan stared up at the house that Brooke had sent him too. It was fairly large, definitely big enough for the three girls to share for however long they were in Tree Hill.

He was grateful for Brooke and Peyton being so cooperative with him, even though he knew there was no way he deserved it. They had agreed to get out of the house for a little while, so the two of them could talk and hopefully work this out.

Nathan let out a deep breath, raising his fist and knocking on the door loudly, before taking a small step back and waiting patiently.

Haley hurried down the stairs at the sound of someone knocking at the door. She glanced at the clock, raising her eyebrows slightly. It was around ten, and Brooke and Peyton had up and left without telling her where they were going.

She shook her head, pulling open the door and letting out a slightly bitter laugh at the sight in front on her.

Nathan held out the flowers head had gone out a picked for her, the little purple ones that she'd loved so much in high school. "Please don't slam the door in my face." He said, letting out a deep breath.

Haley shook her head, turning her back to him and walking away, leaving the door open behind her.

He considered that a small victory. She could've told him to go to hell and locked him out.

After glancing around outside for a moment, he followed her inside, kicking the door closed with his foot.

"Shoes off!" Haley called from the kitchen, letting out a deep sigh and shaking her head, looking up when her boyfriend appeared in front of her.

Nathan took a minute to admire her appearance. Her hair was up in a messy bun, something he'd always thought looked so good on her. She was wearing one of his old t-shirts from high school, and some dark blue skinny jeans, and if they weren't in the situation they were in right now, he would've taken the time to stare at her legs a bit longer.

His eyes found the way to hers. She looked at him expectantly, just waiting for him to say something.

"I knew you stole that shirt from me when you left for Stanford. That was my favorite shirt, Haley James." Nathan attempted, chuckling quietly.

Haley sighed softly, shaking her head. "Trying to crack jokes won't get us out of this, Scott."

"I'm not making a joke, I liked that shirt. I have to say though, I have always liked it better on you." He said, smirking.

Haley walked around the counter, jabbing her finger into his chest. "You've been ignoring my calls for two days. Yeah, I was in the wrong for not believing in you. But you said shit to me too, Nathan. I'm the one being adult enough to try and work past it."

"That hurt me, Haley. I don't know why you automatically assumed I did it." Nathan said, sighing softly. "Maybe we should just forget it happened."

"I'm sorry, Nathan. I should've talked to you before I started thinking. But you know what? I was ambushed with that on live television. Why didn't my boyfriend, who claims he wants to marry me, tell me about this? Answer me that, buddy." Haley scowled at him, shaking her head. "And you come storming into my house like you own the place, and go off on me and call me a whore! Tell me about that, Nathan. Come on, feed me your excuses."

Nathan sunk back a little bit, closing his eyes and letting out a deep breath. "I don't have an excuse. I'm an ass."

"Why did you even come here?" She asked him, shaking her head.

"Because I love you, Haley. And I'm such an ass, apologies can't happen over the phone." He said, nodding down at her.

"Well a phone call still would have been nice, you dick." She grumbled, rubbing her hands down her face.

"Why did you think I did it, Haley?" Nathan asked her, leaning his back against the counter, looking at her.

"I said that I was sorry, Nathan. I defended you to the public, and haven't ran around telling people you did it. It's not like I knew that you did it, I just had a feeling of uncertainty. I'm sorry for offending you." Haley sighed, running her fingers through her hair.

"Who in the hell is that Dylan guy?" Nathan asked her, crossing his arms.

"Who in the hell is that Renee girl, Nathan? You want to fight about stuff, then let's at least make it fair." She responded, shaking her head.

"She's just some person. I don't even know her." He shrugged, looking at her. "What did you and Dylan do after I left?"

"Us? Oh, you know. We had sex." Haley snapped out at him, shaking her head and rolling her eyes.

He let out a deep sigh, closing his eyes for a second, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I'm so sorry for that, Haley. I don't know what happened. I just wanted to hurt you, somehow." He whispered, standing up straight and stepping up to her. "Break up with me. I don't deserve you."

Haley looked up at him for a second, before turning her gaze away from his, looking at the ground. "I'm not going to break up with you, Nathan."

"I'm so, so sorry. I'll never stop being sorry. You should never be spoken to the way I spoke to you. That's not what I think of you, I promise. I know who you are, and I'm so in love with you. You were just hurting me, and I wanted to hurt you back." He said quietly, cupping her cheeks gently, guiding her face so she was looking up at him.

"I don't deserve you, and I never will. You have such a kind heart, Haley James. And I know that regardless of whether this baby was mine or not, you would've stuck by me. Because that's who you are. And I never, ever should've spoken to you with such disrespect. Because you taught me better than that." Nathan whispered. "I want to be the guy that you helped me become, not the asshole guy that gets random girls pregnant and pushes away everyone."

Haley looked at Nathan, biting her lips gently, "I'm sorry that you were hurt, Nathan."

"I'm sorry too, Haley." He responded, resting his forehead on hers. "I'm so incredibly sorry. I wish I could take it back. So much."

She nodded slowly, gripping his shirt tightly, closing her eyes and letting out a deep breath.

They stood there for quite awhile, wrapped up in each other. No words were spoken, they just held each other close.

Nathan made the first move. He gently backed her up into the counter, staring down at her with the intensity she had missed and longed for the past two days. "You're so beautiful." He whispered, nuzzling his nose against hers.

Haley gently brushing her fingers over the buttons on his shirt, smiling slightly. She tilted her head up, kissing him softly, her eyes fluttering closed.

He immediately responded to her, gently resting his hands on her waist, lifting her up so she was sitting on the counter, smirking slightly against her mouth.

Haley laughed quietly, her fingers working open the buttons on his shirt, sliding it off his shoulders.

"You work fast." Nathan hummed, smirking slightly.

"I could slow down, if you'd like." She responded, her hands roaming over her boyfriend's muscular torso.

"I think I'm alright." He replied, kissing her again, tugging her closer to him.

"I thought you might be." She said, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You know we still have more to talk about, right?"

"Of course. How about you give me a tour of the house first? We could start in your bedroom." Nathan said, smirking at her.

Haley chuckled quietly, nodding her head. "Not a bad idea." She hummed, jumping off of the counter, grabbing his hand and tugging him up the stairs.

A few hours later, Nathan laid on his side, his head propped up with his fingers lazily brushing up and down Haley's arm, a small smile on his face. "How did I get so lucky?" He whispered, leaning over and kissing her head softly.

"I have no idea." Haley laughed, grabbing his hand and kissing it softly. "But I was just thinking the same thing."

"Oh you were?" He said, smirking slightly, dipping his head down and kissing her softly.

"Mm. Now I'm thinking it even more." Haley replied, brushing her fingers through his hair. "We should probably talk, though."

"You know, I felt like I was so close to getting out of talking about it." Nathan chuckled, kissing her head softly. "You just knew that if you got naked I would agree with everything you said."

"That may have been my plan." Haley joked, smiling at him. "I just wanted to apologize to you again. I'm sorry, Nathan. I didn't mean for it to end up like this. I should've believed in you. I knew how much you cared about me, even then. I guess I was just preparing myself for the worst, and it kind of took over my brain." She said softly, nodding at him.

"Everyone assumes that I'm guilty before I'm innocent. I just needed you to be my rock, Haley. The person that would stand up for me no matter what." Nathan said softly, looking down at her.

"I am that person. I am. But I need you to be that person for me, Nathan. You took a moment when I was feeling vulnerable, and called me a whore. I need you to understand that we weren't together, I had no say in who you slept with. And I know, I know. You loved me even then. But I had no control over you." She said softly, kissing him briefly.

Nathan fell onto his back, staring up at the ceiling and letting out a deep breath. "I don't think you're like that, Haley. I see you as this amazing person, that will always be there for me. I'm so sorry for saying that to you. I guess I just hold you at a higher standard than everyone else, because you were the first person that could see past the asshole that would beat up anyone that gave him a weird look. I guess I thought you would see past this too." He said softly, closing his eyes.

Haley sat up slightly, gently resting her hand on his chest. "I wish you would've come to me in the first place, Nathan. Then maybe we wouldn't be in this situation right now." She said softly, biting her lip.

Nathan nodded slowly, looking over at her. "I should've talked to you about it. But I thought that maybe it would go away. I thought that maybe she wouldn't actually take it to the public if we didn't agree to pay her."

"Do you wish you would've paid her?" Haley asked him softly, gently tracing a design into his chest.

"No, because I'm going to figure out a way to beat this." He responded, shrugging slightly.

"Do you know her at all?" She asked him, frowning.

"I don't remember meeting her, but she has pictures of us together. I meet and take pictures with a lot of people though." He said, shaking his head.

"And you're sure you don't remember her? At all?" Haley asked, gently scratching her fingernails over his chest.

"You don't believe me?" Nathan frowned, sighing softly.

"No, baby. That's not it. I believe every word you're telling me." She assured him, kissing him quickly.

"I don't know why she's doing this to me, Haley. But I promise it's not true. There is no way I could even think about other women. You were constantly on my mind." He said softly, looking up at her.

Haley nodded, brushing the back of her hand over his face. "I love you."

"I love you too, beautiful. I'm so, so sorry for the things I said to you. I deserved that slap, probably more than I've deserved any other slap I've ever received." He hummed.

"It's alright- well... No. It's not alright. If you ever talk to me like that again, I can promise you one thing, this will not be the outcome." She said, nodding at him.

"I was way out of line. I'm so sorry." He apologized again. "And I'm sure I'll be apologizing to you forever."

Haley chuckled quietly, kissing his forehead softly, before laying down next to him, nestling into his warm body.

"So... Who the hell is Dylan?" Nathan asked her, looking over.

"You aren't the only guy I've ever dated, Nate. I hate to break it to you." She said softly.

"Geez, don't sugar coat it at all." He sighed, nuzzling his nose into her hair. "Tell me about him. Obviously you've slept with him. How recently?"

"Are we sure this is a road we want to go down right now?" Haley rubbed her eyes, sighing softly.

"I was hoping that you hadn't had sex for the past four years and have only been with me." He pouted, shrugging.

She looked at him, sighing softly. "What? Would you like to compare sexual history or something? He was just a boy, Nathan." She grumbled, beginning to press light kisses along his shoulder.

Nathan closed his eyes, letting out a small sigh, tilting his head to the side a little bit.

After a moment of silence, he spoke up again. "So... How many guys have there been?"

Haley lifted her head up, "Nathan, come on." She sighed, pushing her fingers through his hair.

"You're right. Just go back to what you were doing." He said, closing his eyes again.

She looked at him for a second, before adjusting herself so her top half was hovering over him, kissing along his chest.

"More than five?" He asked a minute later, looking at her with raised eyebrows.

She let out a deep breath, resting her forehead on his chest for a second, before lifting her head back up. "You really know how to kill a mood, don't you?"

He shrugged slightly, letting out a quiet sigh. "I just want to know."

"Can I ask you the same question in return?" Haley asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"There was a point in your life when it was only me, Hales. And I thought that was how it was going to be forever. But then you broke up with me." He attempted, letting out an over exaggerated sigh.

"Do you want me to include you in this list, Nathan?" She asked him, tapping her fingers on his chest.

"If you want." He shrugged, sitting up, leaning his back against the headboard.

Haley took a second to think, before turning to him. "Like twenty." She said simply, shrugging.

Nathan choked, looking at her with wide eyes. "You're joking, right?"

"Yes, I'm joking." Haley laughed, kissing him softly. "There's only been four guys, Nathan. Including you. And I was in relationships with them, so no one night stands for me." She shrugged, leaning against him.

"How long were your relationships? Were you engaged to any of them?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

Haley looked at him, "You've been doing your research on me, haven't you?" She asked him, shaking her head.

"Maybe a little. Might've checked out your Wikipedia page, among other things." Nathan said, shrugging slightly.

Haley sighed, brushing her fingers through his hair. "Contrary to popular belief, I was not engaged."

"That's all I'm going to get?" He asked her, frowning.

"I don't want to get into it, Nathan." She said softly, shrugging.

"Please? I've done my best to avoid looking into your life for the past four years. I didn't even follow you on twitter until after our closure sex." He said, smirking slightly.

"Look, about six months after we broke up, I dated this guy from Stanford for about three months, but he broke up with me because while we were going out, he had fallen for my room mate, which sucked. I mean, he didn't cheat on me or anything because there was no overlap in relationships, but that still hurt. Plus, she dated him too so I saw him all the time. They actually just got engaged." Haley sighed, shaking her head. "He was more of a rebound, probably."

"What a douche. Let's go to their wedding and steal the show." He chuckled, tugging her closer to him. "I'm sorry, baby. That sucks."

"Yeah, it did. I switched room mates after that semester. Awhile after that, I was set up on a blind date with this guy by Brooke and Peyton, and I went out with him for awhile but we just didn't click all that well." She shrugged, running her fingers through her hair.

"Which brings us to Dylan." Nathan said, nodding his head and looking at her expectantly. "Or should I say, the Dylan of nearly two years."

Haley looked at him, sighing. "I don't know why you need to know this so badly, Nathan."

"Because I'm jealous, Haley. That's the only explanation I have for you." He said simply, nodding at her. "Tell me about him."

"I don't know what to say, Nathan. I told myself I was going to take a break from dating for awhile and focus on my career." She shrugged, looking at him. "I was just starting out, and so was Peyton. I went to this movie premiere, with a different date, and he was there, but he also had a different date. He was an upcoming actor and had a minor role in the movie. And we just got to talking, and then we basically ended up on a date, while our dates were talking to each other."

"You were in love with him, weren't you? When did you break up?" Nathan asked, frowning.

"I thought I was in love with him. But... Towards the end of our relationship, we started arguing more and more. I knew that he was going to propose soon, because he let it slip to Brooke. I don't know why, but I started closing myself off from him. I would record late, and find any excuse not to come home." She sighed, running her fingers through her hair.

"You lived together? Why won't you live with me?" He frowned, raising his eyebrows.

"Nathan, we had been dating for a year. You wanted me to move in before we even started dating." She pointed out, shaking her head. "Anyways, I would find any excuse not to come home. I thought I loved him, but I knew marrying him wasn't the right decision, at least at the time. So I broke up with him." She shrugged.

"But I'm guessing the relationship didn't end there, did it?" Nathan frowned, his shoulders slouching a little bit.

Haley looked at him, resting her hand on his cheek, kissing him softly. "I love you, Nathan." She said softly, smiling at him.

"You basically just hooked up with him from that point?" He asked her, sighing. "When was the last time?"

"Knock it off, babe." She said, sitting up and looking at him.

"I'm going to think about it forever until you tell me." Nathan responded, shrugging.

"I get to ask you all these questions you're asking me." Haley said, getting out of bed, beginning to get dressed. "Let's see... Probably two months before Brooke's charity thing. I don't know exactly."

"Wow." He frowned, brushing his fingers through his hair. "Am I a rebound?"

"What?" She asked, looking at him and shaking her head. "Are you kidding?"

Nathan shrugged his shoulders slightly, letting out a small sigh.

Haley walked over to the bed, resting her hands on his cheeks. "I don't know why you would think something like that. It's more like every single date I've been on dice we broke up has been a rebound until we found our way back." She said, kissing him softly.

"I don't understand why you would tell me that you don't want to marry me." He shrugged, looking up at her.

She looked down at him, sighing softly. "Nathan, I-"

"Haley James! Get your ass down here right now!" Brooke's voice called out. "Bring Nathan too. I'm hoping this shirt on the ground is a good sign."

"We'll talk later, alright?" Haley said, gently brushing her fingers through Nathan's hair, kissing him briefly. "Get dressed, then join us downstairs, I suppose." She hummed, heading out of the room.


	21. Chapter 21

**Finding The Way Back**

 **Chapter 21**

Haley headed down the stairs, finding Brooke and Peyton in the kitchen. She picked up Nathan's shirt off the ground, eyeing the two of them. "Okay... What's wrong?" She asked them, raising her eyebrows.

"So, Nathan convinced us to leave the house for a little while, and I decided it would be fun to go over to Lucas's house." Brooke said, crossing her arms.

"Okay?" Haley raised her eyebrows, shrugging slightly.

"I was against it." Peyton shrugged slightly, shaking her head.

"Which I thought was absolutely ridiculous because I dated Lucas too, and I'm still friends with him. So I thought about it while we were there, and decided I was going to do the same thing to Lucas and Peyton that we were doing to you and Nathan." Brooke said, shrugging slightly.

"She stood up and said that she had some errands she needed to run, while we were in the middle of a conversation. Then she left." Peyton sighed, shaking her head.

"And you know Lucas and Peyton, get them alone for a second and the clothes start coming off." Brooke said, shaking her head.

Haley turned to Peyton, raising her eyebrows. "You didn't."

"It just sort of... Happened." Peyton sighed, looking down.

"I walk back in there, and they are basically going at it in the living room. My poor eyes." Brooke laughed, shaking her head. "I expected them to work out their problems, not make out their problems away."

"Peyton, he's engaged!" Haley said, frowning at her.

"I didn't mean for it to happen." Peyton defended herself. "We started talking. We talked about life, and about high school. Then he said that some nights he lays awake and wishes things would have been different. I don't know what happened."

"Is he going to break up with Lindsey?" Haley asked, shaking her head.

"I sent Peyton out to the car, and stayed and talked to him for a few minutes. I love Luke, you guys, but he really needs to make up his mind. He's cheated on far too many girls with Peyton, and I should know, because I'm one of them." Brooke said simply, shrugging.

Nathan walked down the stairs, raising his eyebrows when all eyes turned to him. "Uh... What?" He asked, taking his shirt from Haley, sliding it on and beginning to button it up.

"Your brother kissed Peyton." Brooke informed him, shrugging.

"Really?" He asked, looking at Peyton and raising his eyebrows. "Was it like this?" He asked, grabbing Haley and kissing her briefly. "Or like this?" He smirked slightly, wrapping his arms around his girlfriend, pulling her close to him and kissing her deeply.

"I'm thinking he just wanted to kiss her." Peyton said, looking over at Brooke.

"My thoughts exactly." Brooke laughed, clearing her throat.

Haley pushed on Nathan's chest softly, turning to look at her friends, laughing quietly. "Sorry."

"Which one was it?" Nathan questioned, smirking slightly.

"It was more like a clothes were shedding kiss." Brooke shrugged.

"Was it just... Closure sex?" He asked, looking over at Haley and winking.

"What did Lucas say when you talked to him, Brooke?" Haley asked, leaning back against the counter.

"He asked me not to tell Lindsey." Brooke said simply, sighing softly. "I'm not going to tell her, of course. It's not my place for one, and Peyton is my best friend."

"Is he going to tell her?" Haley asked, frowning.

"He likes Lindsey, you guys." Nathan cut in, shrugging slightly. "Whether she's the girl he should spend the rest of his life with, that's not my place to say. But he claims to be in love with her. So if he doesn't tell her, that's his choice."

"Good point, Nate." Brooke said, shrugging. "No one can tell her. I don't mind Lindsey, I think she's nice. Not the most interesting person in the world, but she seems to make Luke happy."

"But he just made out with Peyton." Haley said, frowning.

"Peyton, you can't tell her either." Nathan shrugged. "Problem solved. If he breaks up with Lindsey, them go for it. Don't ruin his happiness."

Peyton nodded slowly, letting out a deep breath. "You're right. It could have just been nostalgia."

"I'm usually right, if people would listen to me every once and awhile." He hummed, shrugging. "I have to head back to my mom's. I'm leaving tomorrow at around noon. How about I meet you somewhere tonight, Haley James?"

Haley nodded at him, smiling slightly. "I'll walk you out to your car." She said, resting her hand on his back, heading outside.

"That seems like a messy situation." Nathan chuckled, looking at her and sighing. "Maybe even worse than the one I'm in right now. Worse, because Lucas actually did it."

She nodded her head, kissing his cheek softly, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his chest. "I don't want you to go."

"Then I won't." He said softly, kissing the top of her head.

"I feel like there's still so much we need to talk about." She sighed, looking up at him.

"I won't go." He stated, nodding down at her.

"You have to. I see you more than your mom does. Plus, I need to help deal with the situation going on inside." Haley sighed, kissing him softly.

"Why don't you come with me?" Nathan suggested, pulling her closer to him.

"I wish I could." She said, nodding up at him.

"I'll pick you up at five, alright? I can't have a super late night, because I have a game tomorrow. But an early dinner gives us time to talk, and time for anything else we might want to do." He shrugged, smirking down at her.

"How late is super late?" She asked him, tugging on his shirt softly.

"Anything past midnight, maybe one." He shrugged, looking around. "Okay, maybe two. I can sleep on the plane."

"That's the spirit." She joked, squeezing his sides softly.

"We could get in and make out for a little bit." He said, nodding at the car.

"Making out in the back of your moms car? Just like high school." Haley joked, kissing him softly.

"I can guarantee that didn't happen in high school." He chuckled, nodding down at her.

"Must have been with some other guy." She hummed, winking at him.

"You're not very funny." Nathan grumbled, pulling her closer to him. "So... Uh... How long are you planning on staying in Tree Hill?"

"Don't you have to get back to your mom?" She asked, flattening out his hair.

"You're right. I'll pick you up later, baby. Dress nice. Or wear that. Either way, you'll look sexy as hell." He hummed, kissing her again.

"I'll see you later, Nathan." She said, nodding at him.

Nathan got in the car, looking up when Haley stopped the door from shutting.

"Hey." She said softly, taking a small step closer to him. She rested her hand on his leg, smiling. "I love you."

He smiled at her, leaning over and kissing her softly. "I love you too. I'll see you at five. On the dot. Well, actually don't be surprised if it's earlier than that. I won't be there any earlier than four-thirty though."

"Alright. I'll see you then." Haley responded him, kissing once more before heading back into the house.

As promised, Nathan showed up at the house shortly before five, letting out a deep breath and knocking on the door.

Peyton pulled the door open, raising her eyebrows. "Wow, Scott. I figured you might still be into me but showing up dressed like that.." She joked, laughing quietly.

"In your dreams." Nathan chuckled, stepping into the house after she stepped aside.

Brooke looked at him, raising her eyebrows and taking a bite out of her pizza. "Uh, big plans?" She chuckled.

"Just dinner." Nathan shrugged slightly, "Where's Haley?"

"She's finishing up getting ready. Are you set on that outfit?" Brooke questioned.

"I knew the tie was too much. It's too much, isn't it?" He asked, sighing softly.

"You look fine, Nate. Just super formal for anywhere in Tree Hill." Brooke shrugged, nodding at him. "You aren't proposing tonight, are you?"

"What? No." He said, shaking his head. "No, Haley doesn't want that yet."

"Uh huh." Peyton said, shaking her head. "I think you should lose the tie."

"Really?" He asked, looking at Brooke.

Brooke nodded her head slowly, "It's a little much."

"I don't know, my mom said I looked-" He stopped himself, looking at their amused faces. "You're right. Forget the tie." Nathan grumbled, shaking his head.

"No, no. If your Mommy says you look nice then by all means, keep it on." Peyton teased him, smirking slightly.

He rolled his eyes, quickly taking the tie off and throwing it at her. "Have fun with your pizza."

"Hey, your date likes Mac and cheese more than anything else." Brooke laughed, stepped over to him, unbuttoning a few of the buttons on his shirt. "There. Hope your mom won't mind."

"How's your dating life going?" He shot back at her, shrugging.

"Harsh." Brooke said, sitting back down at the bar. "At least Peyton and Haley are getting some."

"I'm not getting any." Peyton said, shaking her head.

"Yikes. Sucks to be you guys." Nathan said, smirking slightly and looking over when Haley walked down the stairs.

"Hey, I didn't hear you come in." Haley said, smiling at him, kissing him quickly.

"You look amazing." He hummed, looking over at Brooke and Peyton, before looking back at Haley.

"Have her home by eleven. Or else there will be some serious consequences, young lady. No boys in your bedroom." Brooke laughed, smiling at Haley.

Haley rolled her eyes, laughing. "Rules are rules, Nathan."

"Oh, and keep your cellphone on at all times." Peyton added, looking at Brooke. "I think that pretty much covers it, what do you think B. Davis?"

"That's it, P. Sawyer. Be safe, have fun, use protection. I'm too young to be a grandma." Brooke joked. "We'll be here watching movies all night. Probably switching back and forth between Chick Flicks and Horror Movies."

"Sounds fun." Nathan said, offering Haley his arm. "Ready to go?"

"Absolutely." Haley hummed, linking her arm through his and waving at her friends.

"So, Haley." Nathan began, looking at her from across the dinner table, smiling slightly.

"So, Nathan." Haley said, grabbing his hand from across the table.

"If you'll notice, this is where we had our first date." He gestured around, shrugging slightly.

"I remember it well." Haley laughed, kissing his hand softly.

"It was going nicely, until I screwed it up. I do that a lot, don't I?" He sighed, nodding at her.

"No, not at all." She said, shaking her head and squeezing his hand softly. "You're such a good guy, Nathan. You've come so far since that first date."

"I'm so in love with you, Haley James." He said softly, nodding at her.

"I think I'm going to move here, Nathan." Haley said to him, sighing softly.

"What? To Tree Hill? Why?" He frowned, raising his eyebrows.

"I told you that I wanted to move back here. I think I'm going to." She shrugged her shoulders.

"No, no. Don't do that. Don't move here. I don't want to live here." He shook his head, sighing softly.

"I didn't ask you to move here with me, Nathan. You asked me how long I was staying, and I'm going to start looking at houses." Haley said simply, sighing softly.

"What about California? What about Red Bedroom?" He questioned her, raising his eyebrows.

"I can just be there when I need to be there." She said, looking at him and sighing. "Nathan, I love it here."

"Haley." Nathan ran his fingers through his hair, sighing softly. "Let's just not talk about this right now, alright? We can discuss it later."

She nodded at him, sighing. Haley looked past Nathan for a second, shaking her head. "Nathan, maybe we should just get out of here." She said quickly.

"Get out of here? Why?" He frowned slightly, turning to look behind him.

The last person he wanted to see was heading their way: Dan Scott.


	22. Chapter 22

**Finding The Way Back**

 **Chapter 22**

Haley watched as a switch flipped inside her boyfriend. He went from this gentle, happy guy, to a stone cold, angry guy. His facial expression hardened in a second, and his grip on her hand tightened. She gently rubbed his knuckles, tugging on his hand softly. "Look at me, Nathan. Not at him. Look at me."

Nathan's gaze shifted back to her, his eyes immediately softening a bit, but not much. "Why can't he just leave me alone?" He asked her softly.

She continued to rub soothing circles into his hand, watching as the dreaded man approached their table.

Dan had a slightly smug smirk on his face, resting his hand on Nathan's shoulder. "I didn't know you were in town, son."

"Take a hint, Dan." Nathan grumbled, shoving his hand away.

"Don't be like that, Nathan. I am your father. I'm just here to congratulate you on your child. You'll love being a father." Dan said, smirking slightly.

"Did you need something, Dan?" Haley asked, looking up at him.

"Ah, yes. I heard that you were back in the picture. I guess that's what happens when my son is rich and famous, all his ex women come running back." Dan said, nodding at Nathan.

"Dan, just get out of here." Nathan sighed softly, "And don't talk to her that way."

"I was just hoping to catch up with you, Nathan. Don't be a stranger." Dan said, patting Nathan's shoulder softly. "Maybe next time you're in town we can get some lunch."

"Dan, I think it's time for you to go, alright?" Haley said, squeezing Nathan's hand softly.

"I'm talking to my son right now." Dan said, nodding at her.

Nathan let out a deep breath, "Dan, just get out of here." He sighed, shaking his head.

"Come on, Nathan. Can't blame me for wanting a little bit of time with my son." Dan shrugged slightly.

Haley stood up, shaking her head. "Actually, we'll be going. Come on, Nate." She said, tugging on his arm.

"Nathan, could I have a word?" Dan asked, gripping Nathan's shoulder.

"Hell no, Dan. Let's get out of here." She said quickly, frowning.

Nathan let out a deep breath, pulling the keys out of his pocket, handing them to her. "Just- give me a second, Hales."

She raised her eyebrows, looking down at him. "I'll give you three minutes." She said softly, kissing him briefly, before heading off towards the car.

"So, back with her, huh?" Dan asked, taking Haley's seat.

"Don't go there, Dan. I'm only having this conversation with you so I can tell you to stay the hell away from me." Nathan said simply, shrugging. "And from Haley."

"I'm not doing anything, Nathan. How's the kid situation going? You know, I've found myself in a similar one before." Dan said, nodding. "Of course, for this to be accurate, Haley would need to be pregnant. She is glowing, isn't she?"

"You better leave us alone. I'm serious. I don't want you in my life. Understood? You stay away from me, you stay away from my mom, my brother, and you stay the hell away from my girlfriend. I won't let you take over my life again." Nathan snapped to him.

"Well, if you need any advice on being a father, I'm living in the beach house. Don't be afraid to stop by." Dan nodded his head, shrugging slightly.

"What would you know about being a father?" Nathan laughed, rolling his eyes.

He joined Haley in the car, slamming the door shut after him. He let out a deep breath, punching the steering wheel repeatedly, before resting his head against it.

Haley looked at him, frowning slightly. She began to rub soothing circles into his tense back, attempting to calm him down.

"You see why I don't want to move here, Haley? That's my dad. My dad. He killed his own brother." He snapped slightly, lifting his head up and looking at her.

She leaned over, kissing his cheek softly, sucking in a deep breath. "Hey." She mumbled, stroking her hand over his cheek. "I love you, alright? I'll do anything you need me to do."

"I'm sorry he ruined our dinner. Dammit." He grumbled, leaning his face into her hand.

"He didn't. I have an idea." She hummed, leaning over and kissing him softly. "You have to let me drive, though?"

"Yikes. This is my mom's car." Nathan said, shaking his head.

"Come on. I'll be careful." She said softly, kissing him again.

"Maybe I can be persuaded." He shrugged, smirking slightly.

"Mhm." Haley hummed, kissing him once more, closing her eyes.

After a moment, Nathan pulled back and looked at her. "Alright, fine. But you be careful."

"Thank you." She grinned, switching him seats quickly.

"Please, Haley. Please be careful." He laughed, buckling his seatbelt and grabbing her hand, before letting go of it. "Actually, you need two hands."

"You're a brat." She laughed, pushing his arm softly, rolling her eyes. "Whatever. It's fine."

After about twenty minutes, Nathan and Haley were walking along the beach, Haley holding a Chinese take out bag, while Nathan held onto her shoes and a blanket, their hands linked in the middle.

"I'd say this looks like a nice spot." Haley hummed, gesturing down to the ground.

"Anywhere you are is perfect." Nathan said softly, pulling his suit jacket off, wrapping it around Haley's shoulders. He spread the blanket out on the ground, sitting down and letting out a deep breath.

Haley sat down next to him, looking at him and smiling slightly. "You remember when we ditched school and came down to your beach house and got really drunk?" She laughed, opening up the food.

"And you threw up all over my dad's pants." He said, smirking slightly.

"Not my best moment, that's for sure." Haley hummed, scooting closer to him, leaning into him slightly.

"I thought it was funny." Nathan laughed, kissing her head softly. "We had fun in high school."

"You had fun in high school, I was a nerd." She laughed, looking up at him.

"Yeah, but you still had fun. I know you did." He responded, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"I guess I did. You made it fun for me." She hummed, closing her eyes.

"I'm sorry my dad showed up and ruined everything." He said softly, looking down at her.

"He didn't ruin anything, Nathan. This is romantic." She said, gesturing towards the sunset.

"You really love it here, don't you?" He asked, looking down at her.

"Not as much as I love you, Nathan." Haley whispered, undoing a few more of the buttons on his shirt, stroking his skin softly. "And if it came down to it, I would pick you every single time."

"I'm tired of saying goodbye." He said softly, holding her closer to him.

"Every goodbye brings us closer to the next hello." She lifted up her head, kissing him for a second. "Now stop being so unhappy, Nathan Scott. I like your smile. Forget your dad, forget everything that is bothering you, and be here next to me."

Nathan nodded his head slowly, looking down at her, beginning to eat silently, eyeing her the whole time.

"So what did you do today after you left?" Haley asked a few minutes later, setting her food to the side.

"I went to lunch with my mom. She told me to she hopes that you can come next time. Then I went over and talked to Luke for a little bit." He chuckled, shaking his head.

"Ah, what did your brother have to say for himself?" She asked, looking at him.

"He says it was an accident. He loves Lindsey, not Peyton. But I don't think that's entirely true." Nathan said, shrugging slightly. "I don't know, Hales."

"Like you said, he's a grown man. You have to let him make his own mistakes." She said softly.

He sighed, rolling up the sleeves on his shirt, gently brushing his fingers through his hair. "Whatever happens, happens I guess. There's nothing we can do to stop it." He grumbled, shaking his head.

"You're such a good man, Nathan Scott." Haley let out a deep breath, tapping her fingers on his chest.

"All thanks to you." He mumbled, pulling her closer to him, kissing her softly.

She rested her hand on his cheek, smiling at him. "Let's talk for a second, alright?"

"No, no. We don't need to talk anymore." He laughed, nudging his nose into her neck.

"I love you." She said softly, looking at him.

"I'm listening." Nathan hummed, kissing her neck lightly.

"I'm sorry for everything that happened the last couple days. I should've believed in you more. And I shouldn't have said some of the things I said to you." Haley whispered, looking at him.

He looked at her, "I just want to say one more time that I didn't do it. I hope you know that."

"I believe you, Nathan. And you're not alone in fighting this. I'm right here with you." She said softly, kissing his cheek. "Now, there's one more thing I want to address..." She began, tapping her fingers on his leg. "The whole marriage thing."

Nathan's face fell slightly, and he removed his gaze from hers, a small frown on his face. "We don't have to talk about it."

"No, Nathan. I didn't mean for it to come out like that, alright?" She said, shaking her head quickly. "I love you, Nathan. I sincerely hope that's where we're headed, I really do."

"Why do I feel like there's going to be a 'but' in all of this?" He sighed, shaking his head.

"There's not. That's all I'm going to say. I'm sorry for making you believe any different." She hummed, shrugging slightly.

"I love you, Haley. So much." Nathan whispered, kissing her quickly.

She gripped his shirt collar lightly, pulling him closer to her. "I love you too." Haley replied, smiling at him. She brushed her fingers through his hair, kissing him once again.

Nathan rested his hand on her leg softly, pulling her closer to him.

Haley smirked a little bit, laying back against the blanket, pulling him so he was hovering over her. "See, now if we did this in New York or California, we'd be caught for sure." She hummed.

He laughed quietly, nipping at her bottom lip. "You're right. Maybe Tree Hill isn't so bad." He grinned, before kissing her again.

Nathan and Haley stepped up to the doorstep of the house that the three girls were sharing at around midnight.

Haley turned to face Nathan, gently brushing her fingers through his hair. "I had a great time, baby."

"Yeah? My dad didn't ruin it?" Nathan questioned her, smiling slightly.

"Well, I could've gone without seeing him. But I still like the way it ended up." She hummed, taking a small step closer to him.

"I'm lucky to have you." He said softly, wrapping his arms around her.

"It's too bad you're leaving tomorrow, because it's supposed to rain." She laughed, winking at him.

"Dammit." Nathan chuckled, shaking his head. "Are you sure you had a good time?"

"Yes, Nathan. I'm positive." She said, kissing him softly, winding her arms around his neck.

"Good. Because I won't have sex with just anyone on the beach, so feel special." He said, smirking slightly.

Haley laughed, nodding at him. "I do." She said softly, kissing his cheek. "Did you want to come inside?"

"I don't know if I should. You have two nosey room mates." He shrugged, pulling her closer to him.

"I guess you're right." She hummed, removing his jacket from around her shoulders, handing it to him.

"I'll stop by tomorrow before I leave, alright? Maybe you can come to the airport with my mom and me." He suggested, nodding at her.

"Yeah, that sounds great. I love you." She smiled up at him.

Nathan looked at her, kissing her again. "I love you too, baby." He hummed, before turning away.

Haley grabbed his hand, shaking her head. "On second thought, why don't you forget my nosey room mates and stay the night?"

He smirked at her, nodding. "That works for me."


	23. Chapter 23

**Finding The Way Back**

 **Chapter 23**

"Haley, come on. Can't you just come for a day? I need you to make an appearance with him, then you can go back to L.A." Clay begged her.

"Clay, I've been really busy. I'm working on recording some songs, and I'm helping produce a couple of songs. I just don't know if I have the time." Haley sighed, leaning against the recording panel. She looked up when Peyton walked into the room, waving at her and holding up one finger.

"Come on, Haley. Don't you miss him?" Quinn's voiced chimed in.

"Is Quinn with you?" She questioned, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah." Clay said, "But that's beside the point. Haley, I need you to come here. Nate needs you to come here. It's been too long since you've been spotted together. Word is starting to spread that you've broken up because of Renee." He added.

"Well, you're his agent. Maybe you should do something about that, instead of just letting him suffer and get bad publicity." Haley snapped, sighing softly.

"Hey, I'm doing the best I can. There's a Clothes over Bro clothing line thing tomorrow night. I recommend you show up to it. For Nathan's benefit." He suggested.

"Clay, I really don't know if I can make it. I'm super busy. I kind of have to go now." She sighed, shaking her head.

"Haley, please. Don't tell me Brooke hasn't been begging you to go. And Peyton." He said, sighing softly. "Haley, it's kind of getting to him."

"Don't do that, Clay. I talk to him every day." She ran her fingers through her hair, looking at Peyton.

"You haven't seen him in like a month, Haley. Basketball season is almost over, and then there will be no distractions from his thoughts overwhelming him. I really, really think that the smartest move for both of you would be for you to accompany him tomorrow night. I understand that you're busy, but he needs this for his image, and for himself. You are still his girlfriend, aren't you?" Clay asked her.

"Yes, Clay. Look, I'll try to get down there soon. But you've given me such short notice on this, I don't know if I can. I have things I need to do tomorrow. I live in Tree Hill, but I've spent the last two weeks in California. I've been so busy." Haley sighed, shaking her head.

"Everyone thinks you guys have broken up over this, which makes it seem true." He said, letting out a deep breath.

"Haley, just go." Peyton said, laughing quietly. "I've been thinking of going too. Let's cancel any appointments we have tomorrow, and go."

Haley looked over at Peyton, nodding slowly. "Okay, fine. Clay, I'll be there."

"Great. Come tonight. He's been grumpy. I guess he misses you or something." Clay chuckled. "Quick thing, Haley. When you're out with him, try to stick together. Keep smiles on your faces. Talk to people together, rather than separate. I just want to show everyone that Haley James and Nathan Scott won't let this woman get to them."

"Got it." Haley said, sighing softly. "Bye Clay, bye Quinn." She hung up the phone, looking at Peyton.

"You've been working too hard lately, Haley. I just got here yesterday and I'm already ready to go back to Tree Hill." Peyton laughed, smiling at her.

"I've been working the perfect amount, Peyton." Haley said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Then how come you haven't been back East to see Nathan in awhile?" Peyton asked her, raising her eyebrows.

"He's in the NBA. A lot of times when I end up at his house, I spend a lot of nights alone." Haley responded, shrugging. "The season will be over soon, and the less time he spends with me, the more he'll realize that he loves basketball so much."

"But he loves you more. Haley, and in the end... This is all up to him. You still talk to him, don't you?" Peyton frowned, sighing softly.

"Every day, Peyton. It just kills me to see him giving all of this up for me. We've only been going out for two months, am I crazy to be worried that this won't work out?" Haley asked, shaking her head.

"Yes." Peyton said simply, shrugging her shoulders. "Now, book the next flight to New York. Then get in the booth so we can start recording."

Haley sighed softly, looking at her and nodding. "You're the boss."

Haley arrived in New York at around three in the morning, letting out a deep breath as she looked at her boyfriend's door. She dug through her purse, pulling out the key he had given her, unlocking his door quickly.

She walked into the penthouse, raising her eyebrows slightly. His home was pretty messy. There were dishes in the sink, take out boxes on the counter, it was just an over all mess.

Haley shook her head, pausing in front of the giant window in his living room, staring at the lights on New York City. It really was beautiful here. But was it really the place she wanted to live? She really didn't mind living in California, but after going back to Tree Hill... It just felt right to be back there. Could her and Nathan survive the distance? It wasn't quite as far, but was it worth the risk? They had survived this long in different cities, but he seemed pretty positive he didn't want to move to Tree Hill.

Nathan woke up at the sound of someone in his home, frowning slightly. He quickly got out of bed, sighing softly and quietly walking out of his room, towards the living room. He paused when he saw someone standing in front of the window, reaching over and turning on the light slowly, squinting as his eyes adjusted to the light.

Haley turned around quickly, her face breaking out into a grin. "Hey, you." She hummed, rushing over to him, throwing her arms around his neck.

Nathan raised his eyebrows, holding her close to him. "Haley? What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to surprise my boyfriend." She hummed, smiling at him, gently kissing his cheek.

"You've been avoiding me." He chuckled, shaking his head.

"No I haven't, Nathan." She said, pulling him down, kissing him softly.

"I said to you two weeks ago that I was coming to Tree Hill, and you told me that you were going to California." He pointed out, lifting her up off the ground.

She looked at him, wrapping her legs around his waist, shaking her head. "I was not avoiding you."

"Mhm. I wish you would've called, though." He said softly, resting his forehead on hers.

"I wanted to surprise you." Haley responded, kissing him again.

"I would've cleaned up a little bit. This place is a mess." He grumbled, looking around.

"Just gives us something to do tomorrow." She hummed, holding him tightly. "Now shut up and kiss me."

Nathan woke up the next morning to an empty bed. He sat up slowly, frowning and looking around. His room was completely clean. He shook his head, glancing at the time. It was around nine-thirty, and he could hear some noise in the kitchen. He slowly got out of bed, walking over to his dresser, finding his clothes neatly folded in the drawer. Nathan shook his head, getting dressed quickly and heading into the kitchen.

Haley was standing at the counter, in his now clean kitchen, making pancakes and bacon. He rubbed his eyes, looking at her. She was wearing her glasses, which was a rare occasion, but it sent his heart rate sky rocketing. He shook his head, telling himself to focus.

"What do you think you're doing, James?" Nathan questioned.

"Making you breakfast?" Haley said, raising her eyebrows and gesturing to the plate.

"You cleaned my house." He grumbled, sitting down at the counter, shaking his head.

"Only some of it." She hummed, shrugging her shoulders.

"How long have you been awake?" He asked her, sighing softly.

"Since seven. I went to the grocery store too." She said, turning the grill off and walking over to him.

"Geez, Haley. I could've done this stuff." He said, sighing softly.

"Then why didn't you?" Haley asked, pinching his chin.

"Because I didn't know you were coming." Nathan replied, shrugging. "If you had told me, this place would have sparkled."

"Mhm." She hummed, gently brushing her thumb over his cheek.

He looked at her, resting his hands on her sides softly. "What are you doing here, Haley James?"

"I missed you. It's been way too long since I've kissed this handsome face." She said softly, smiling at him. "Video chatting just isn't working for me anymore."

"Clay called you." He sighed, nodding slowly.

"Yeah, but I missed you as well." She said simply, kissing him briefly.

"You know he's been fooling around with Quinn, right? I specifically told him not too. Maybe that's why I'm still in this mess. My agent won't keep it in his pants long enough to help me out." Nathan grumbled.

Haley rubbed the scowl from her boyfriend's forehead, shaking her head. "I doubt they're having sex, Nathan. Quinn tells me things. Her divorce isn't even final yet."

"Well, I wouldn't be so sure about that. She's always here." He said, sighing softly. "She's at my house more than the James girl I want here. That's messed up."

She sighed softly, kissing him again. "Eat up, handsome. We've got stuff to do." She said, smacking his thigh softly.

"You already cleaned everything." He grumbled, "Which I'm a little annoyed about because I was going to help."

"I started some of you laundry too." She shrugged, setting some pancakes in front of him.

"Haley James." He grumbled, shaking his head.

"You could hardly see your bedroom floor, Nathan." Haley laughed.

"I can do my own laundry, baby." He pointed out, shaking his head.

"I know, Nathan." She hummed, smiling at him. "You know what we should do today? Go out. Enjoy the fresh air."

"You being here is for publicity, isn't it?" He frowned, sighing softly. "I knew it was too good to be true."

"Nathan, that's not true. I came because I missed you." Haley shook her head, kissing his cheek.

"Alright, tell me we aren't going out because people need to see us strong and together. Because Clay has been feeding me that crap too." He shrugged.

"That's part of the reason, Nathan. I don't know why this woman is doing this to you, but don't you want to stick it to everyone? Show them that we're both standing together and show them that we know this rumor isn't true, and we won't let it hurt us?" She said, stroking his cheek softly. "It was just a suggestion, baby. But if you want to stay inside all day, then I'm sure we can find other ways to entertain ourselves."

"I just wish it would go away, you know? I don't know what to do." Nathan sighed, leaning his head forward and resting it on her shoulder.

She nodded in reply, kissing his head softly. "We'll figure something out, okay? Now eat up before it gets cold. I'm going to go shower."

"Now that sounds a lot better than food. Mind if I join?" He smirked at her.

Haley laughed, "Didn't you get enough last night?"

"Enough of you? Never, Hales, never." He hummed, grabbing her hand.

"Eat your breakfast. I made that especially for you, you know?" She said, kissing his cheek.

"Bite me." He said, shrugging.

"Maybe later." She smirked, winking at him.

"You look sexy in your glasses." Nathan pulled her closer to him, kissing her softly.

"Good to know." Haley hummed, flattening out his hair, nodding her head. "Eat up, Scott. Maybe later." She winked at him, hurrying into his room.

"Damn." He sighed, shaking his head and watching her leave.

"You're going to move in with him?!" Brooke yelled through the phone.

"Brooke, shh. He's in the other room, you know." Haley said, shaking her head. "I'm considering it."

"Are you pregnant?" Brooke asked her.

"What? No!" Haley said, laughing quietly.

"Just checking." Brooke hummed. "You're coming tonight, right?"

"Yeah, we'll be there." Haley responded, turning her phone on speaker phone, setting it on the bed and beginning to paint her toenails.

"When you say 'we' do you mean you, Nathan, and the baby?" Brooke asked, laughing quietly.

Haley looked up to see Nathan walking in, his eyes wide and his jaw hanging open. "Nathan." She said, shaking her head quickly.

"Oops." Brooke said, beginning to laugh loudly.

"Haley..." Nathan trailed off, frowning. "Are you pregnant?"

"Brooke, I'm going to have to call you back." Haley said, shaking her head and hanging up the phone.

"Holy shit." He said, raising his eyebrows. "You're pregnant!"

"Wait, wait, wait. Nathan, I'm not pregnant. I'm 100% positive that I'm not pregnant. I swear." She said quickly, shaking her head.

"But Brooke just said-"

"Honey. I know what she said, but I also know that it's not true, okay?"

"But-"

"Nathan. I'm not pregnant, alright? Just listen to me." Haley said, sighing softly.

"Why would she say that?" Nathan frowned, sitting down on the bed next to her.

"She was just joking. You weren't supposed to hear that." She sighed, shaking her head.

"Why would she joke about something like that?" He asked, running his fingers through his hair.

"Oh... Nathan... You're not actually upset about this, are you?" She frowned, resting her hand on his leg. "It is way, way too soon in our relationship to have a baby."

"No, no. I'm uh, I'm not upset." He sighed, looking down at the ground. "I'm going to go watch some TV. You're welcome to join me." He said, standing up quickly.

"Nathan." Haley frowned, watching him walk towards the door.

"Haley, I'm fine." Nathan said, walking out of the room.

Haley let out a deep breath, running her fingers through her hair, calling Brooke back.

"Brooke Davis, I can't believe you just did that to me." She grumbled, shaking her head.

"How was I supposed to know Nate was going to walk in? Was he mad? Did you explain it to him?" Brooke asked her.

"He wasn't mad... It's kind of weird, Brooke... He was upset. Upset because it's not true." Haley said, sighing softly.

"That's not weird, it's totally expected. If he had his way, you'd be married and pregnant with octuplets right now." Brooke laughed.

"I know that he loves me, but Brooke... It's been two months. Am I the only one that understands that?" Haley asked, shaking her head.

"Yes, you are. Just marry him already, Haley. Marry him, and have beautiful Scott babies. Haley Scott is a cute name." Brooke said, shaking her head.

Haley probably wouldn't admit it at that moment, but the thought of being 'Haley Scott' made her heart flutter. "I love him, Brooke. But it's only been two months."

"Whatever, Haley. I have to go, I sort of ditched Millicent with Bitchtoria. I'll see you tonight." Brooke hummed.

"Bye, Brooke. See you tonight." Haley sighed, hanging up with phone.


	24. Chapter 24

**Finding The Way Back**

 **Chapter 24**

Haley looked over at her quiet boyfriend, sighing softly. She reached over, grabbing his hand and intertwining their fingers.

Nathan glanced over at her, squeezing her hand lightly, before turning his gaze back out the window, kissing her knuckles softly.

They arrived at Brooke's event a few minutes later, Nathan getting out quickly and helping Haley out. He wrapped his arm around Haley's waist, pausing to smile for some pictures. He kissed her head softly, looking down at her and grinning slightly.

It sort of shocked Haley how quickly his personality had changed from being in the car, to being in front of cameras. He certainly was charming, and he almost had her fooled as well. But she could see past the act, his eyes gave it all away to her. She rested her hand on his chest, smiling towards the cameras.

Nathan kissed her quickly, squeezing her side softly. After a second, he waved at the cameras, grabbing her hand and pulling her inside.

As soon as they entered, Clay and Quinn were walking over to them.

"Hey! You two made it." Clay said, nodding at Haley, mouthing a quick 'thank you.'

Haley nodded her head, hugging Quinn quickly. "I didn't know that you were going to be here."

"Yeah, well... I was going to go to Mom and Dad's but Clay talked me into staying." Quinn said, smiling over at Clay.

"Hey, I'm going to go find Lucas." Nathan said, nodding at Haley, kissing her forehead.

"Yeah, alright. I'll come find you in a little bit. I'm going to see if I can find Peyton or Brooke." Haley said, squeezing his hand softly, watching him disappear into the crowd.

"Haley." Clay frowned at her, shaking his head. "I think you two should stick together tonight."

"Clay, something happened, okay? I think he needs a little space right now. I'll find him in a little bit." Haley said, shrugging her shoulders slightly.

"What happened?" Clay asked, glancing at Quinn.

"If he wants to tell you, then he'll tell you." She said simply, hugging Quinn again. "I've missed you, Quinny. I need to go find Peyton, though. I'll catch up with you later." Haley said, nodding at her before hurrying off.

She found Peyton and Brooke back behind the runway, hurrying over to them.

"Hey foxy mama." Peyton joked, laughing quietly.

"Not funny, Peyton." Haley said, shaking her head.

"So... Let me get this straight. Nathan overheard Brooke say something about a baby, then asked you about it, and now he's upset because you aren't pregnant?" Peyton laughed, raising her eyebrows.

"I don't know exactly." Haley sighed, shrugging.

"Hey, you two quick gossiping and help me. Chop chop!" Brooke said, clapping her hands. "We'll talk about this later. I'm sorry for messing up your relationship." She said, shaking her head.

After helping Brooke finish up, Haley and Peyton found their way over to Nathan, who was talking to Lucas and Lindsey.

"Hey Luke!" Haley said, smiling at him. "Sorry I had to cancel our lunch last week. I got caught up in L.A."

"Don't worry about it, Hales." Lucas smiled at her, shrugging his shoulders. "Hey Peyton." He said, waving at her.

"Luke." Peyton nodded, smiling slightly.

"Hi Lindsey, it's nice to see you. How's the editing business?" Haley asked, linking her arm through Nathan's.

"Oh, it's going well. If only Luke would write another book, it would make everything easier." Lindsey laughed, shrugging.

"I'm working on it." Lucas said, shaking his head.

Nathan rested his hand on Lucas' shoulder, leaning over and whispering something into his ear.

Lucas raised his eyebrows, nodding his head slowly. "Yeah." He responded. "We'll be back." He shrugged slightly, following his younger brother off into the crowd.

"Wonder what that was about." Lindsey frowned, raising her eyebrows.

Haley looked over at Peyton, sighing softly. "Did Nathan say anything, when he came to find Lucas?"

"He started to, but when I walked up he stopped. He doesn't like me, does he?" Lindsey sighed, shaking her head.

"No, no. That's not it. Nathan's just going through some stuff." Haley said, smiling slightly at her.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Lindsey asked, raising her eyebrows.

"We'll let you know." Haley said, nodding at her, glancing over at Peyton.

After the fashion show, Nathan stood up from his seat. "Hey, uh, I'm going to go get a drink. Do you want anything?"

"I'll take a beer." Lucas chimed in, grinning at his brother. "Lindsey will have some red wine." He hummed, gesturing to her empty seat.

"I'll have some red wine as well." Haley said, smiling up at him.

"Of course you will." Nathan grumbled, looking at Peyton, who shook her head. He sighed softly, walking away.

"Did it just get cold in here?" Peyton laughed, raising her eyebrows at Haley.

"Okay, Luke. What did he talk to you about?" Haley asked, turning to Lucas.

"He's my brother, Hales. I can't betray him like that." Lucas shrugged simply.

"Please, Lucas. He's sort of freezing me out, and I don't like it. It's not my fault I'm not pregnant." She sighed, rubbing her neck softly.

"It sort of is, I mean... Birth control and stuff." Peyton chuckled.

"Okay, but you guys must see where I'm coming from, right?" Haley asked, shaking her head.

"Oh, no, Hales... I understand completely where you're coming from. I think he's overreacting a little bit." Lucas shrugged slightly. "Okay- you didn't hear this from me. Understand?"

Haley nodded her head slowly, sighing softly. "I understand."

"He doesn't think you're totally in this relationship, like he is. And I agree with him a little bit. But I also think that he's throwing himself in a little too quickly. You're right to take things slow. You were dating for three and a half years, then broke up. So what makes him think you'll still going to be together in another three and a half years?" Lucas shrugged.

"Ooo, good point, Lucas." Peyton said, nodding.

"Maybe this isn't the place to talk about this." Haley sighed, looking around.

"It's definitely not." Lucas said simply. "Look, Hales... He loves you. So much. And I think he's totally being immature right now. Don't feel pressured into having a baby because he thinks he wants a baby right now."

"Yeah, Haley. Lucas is right. If you think it's too soon, then he needs to respect that. It is a little soon to he making decisions like this. A baby is a big deal." Peyton shrugged, rubbing Haley's shoulder.

"Are you pregnant?" Lindsey asked once she returned, taking a seat next to Lucas.

"No, no. I'm not. Where is Nathan with my wine?" Haley asked, looking around.

"Found him." Peyton said after a minute, gesturing over to the bar.

Haley followed her gaze, a small scowl forming on her face. Nathan was standing at the bar, talking to the star of the show, Alex Dupre.

"You've got to be kidding me." She grumbled, letting out a deep breath. She watched as Alex handed him a shot of tequila, before watching him down the drink quickly.

Haley shook her head, letting out a deep breath and watching them.

"And then, I said to Brooke. 'You know Nathan Scott? He is like, so hot. You have to let me talk to him' and she told me no! But looks like I ran into you anyways." Alex said, smiling at him.

"Well, you did great tonight." Nathan said, picking up another tequila shot, drinking it quickly.

"Mm. I really miss tequila. I wish I could just have a taste." She said, licking her lips and biting into the lime.

"Tequila isn't even that great." He laughed, shaking his head.

"Well it's very nice of you to do this for me then." Alex said, resting her hand on Nathan's arm.

Nathan subtlety pulled his arm away, running his fingers through his hair. "What can I say? I'm a giver. God knows I could use as much alcohol as I can get."

"Oh, I can get you more. My friend was totally talking about you and that chick that says she's pregnant and I was totally defending you, and saying that I know you didn't do it." Alex said, nodding at him.

"I appreciate that more than you'll ever know. If only more people were like you." Nathan said, picking up the last tequila shot, drinking it quickly. "There you are. All of them gone."

"Thanks. Now, if only there was someone as yummy as you out there that's actually single. But, I guess that's never stopped me before." Alex said, smirking slightly.

"I'm going to have to pass on that. But if you need someone to take some more shots for you..." He chuckled, nodding at her.

Clay walked up to him, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him away quickly.

"Clay, good to see you. I need help carrying all of these drinks." Nathan said, shaking his head.

Clay sighed heavily, looking at Quinn, before picking up two of the drinks, following Nathan back over to Lucas, Lindsey, Haley, and Peyton.

"You." He pointed at Haley, before turning to Nathan. "And you. Come with me. Quinn- just, uh... Sit tight for a second."

Clay set the drinks down on the table, shaking his head and sighing, before motioning for Nathan and Haley to follow him.

He led them into one of the bathrooms, making sure no one was in there, locking the door quickly. "What's going on?"

Nathan and Haley both started talking at once, their gazes fixed on Clay as they accused each other of different things.

"Hey, hey. Guys. I'm pretty talented, but I can't listen to what you're both saying." Clay said simply, shrugging. He turned to Haley, letting out a deep breath. "Haley, I specifically asked you to come here to be with Nathan. To spend time with Nathan. To show everyone that Haley and Nathan are happy. I didn't ask you to come so you could sit with Lucas, while Nathan talks to Alex Dupre. People talk, people watch. They see and hear it all."

"He's the one that's been avoiding me, Clay!" Haley said, shaking her head and looking at him.

"Brooke wouldn't let paparazzi in here. We posed for the pictures outside, everyone saw us show up together, and they'll see us leave together." Nathan said, shrugging his shoulders.

"What's your problem, man? You've been in a bad mood all night." Clay asked him, sighing.

"You know what my problem is?" Nathan snapped, pushing Clay softly. "You're my problem. You go off, and you're fooling around with Quinn- who by the way, is sill married- when you should be helping me get out of this shit!"

Clay looked at him, frowning slightly. "Nate, just chill out."

"No, I don't want you hanging out with her, Clay! I want you to get me out of this problem I'm in. Because you know damn well that I didn't do it." Nathan said, shaking his head.

"I know that, Nathan. And I'm working on it." Clay said, letting out a deep sigh.

"Work harder." Nathan grumbled, shaking his head.

"Another thing-" Haley began, shaking her head. "You take Nathan out, take him to parties, get him drunk. This could have happened a million times, Clay, and it could happen again." She said, poking his chest softly. "I know, I know. You're Nathan Scott's agent, so he gets you laid or whatever, but you're also his best friend!"

"Yeah!" Nathan said, stepping up next to Haley.

"And you." Haley turned to Nathan, scowling at him. "What's the matter with you? You think you can go shut me out because I'm not pregnant? That's not okay, Nathan. We've been dating for two months. I will not feel bad for not wanting to have kids right now." She snapped to him.

"Woah, that's what's been bugging you?" Clay asked, looking at Nathan with wide eyes.

"Stay out of this." Nathan said, looking at him. He looked back at Haley, shaking his head. "You won't let this move any further, Haley. It seems like I'm the only one that wants to be in this relationship."

"You know that's not true, Nathan! You're just moving so fast, and I love you but you don't understand." Haley said, crossing her arms.

Clay looked back and forth between them, letting out a deep breath. "Look, guys... I don't want to get in the middle of this but we need to get back out there. Please stay together, and look happy." He said, walking out of the bathroom.

Nathan and Haley stood there, staring at each other for a second.

"Let's just stay for a little bit longer, then we can go home, okay?" Haley said softly, letting out a deep breath.

Nathan nodded his head slowly, looking down for a second. He rested his hand on her back, slowly guiding her out of the room.

Brooke rushed up to them, "Hey guys! What did you think?"

"Nathan loved it." Haley cut in, grabbing his hand and sending him a forced smile. "He's a huge Alex Dupre fan."

"Really? She was asking about you too. I figured I better keep her away from you." Brooke laughed, nodding her head.

"He was doing tequila shots with her. Dream come true, right honey?" Haley asked, looking over at Nathan, kissing his cheek.

Brooke raised her eyebrows, "So... You guys are saying bitter things to each other, but keeping smiles on your face?" She laughed.

"She started it." Nathan shrugged, fake laughing and kissing Haley's head.

"Technically, I started it." Brooke said simply. "I'm the one that went running my mouth."

"Haley's the one that won't have a baby with me." Nathan said quietly, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"You're the one that's trying to guilt me into something that we're clearly not ready for." Haley responded, resting one hand on Nathan's chest, tugging on his tie softly.

"Well, I can tell that this conversation is going well." Brooke said, looking around and sighing softly.

"I'm going to go call the car. I want to go home." Nathan said, kissing her quickly, before hurrying away.

"Yikes." Brooke sighed, watching him go. "I'm sorry, buddy."

"No, Brooke. It's not your fault." Haley said, shaking her head. "Really, don't worry about it."

"I didn't know that you put me on speaker phone, or that he walked into the room." Brooke sighed softly, shrugging.

"I know, Brooke. Don't worry about it. I explained it to him, and he understands that you were joking. I just don't know what his problem is." Haley shook her head, sighing softly.

"I do. That boy wants a mini Haley James running around. But he can deal with it." Brooke laughed.

Haley opened her mouth to respond, before turning around when someone tapped their fingers on her shoulder. She raised her eyes, frowning slightly.

Brooke immediately jumped to her side, "What the hell are you doing here, Renee?" She snapped.

"I need to talk to you." Renee said to Haley, nodding her head slowly.

"Like hell. She doesn't have anything to say to you." Brooke said, shaking her head. "And Nathan doesn't have anything to do with your demon spawn."

"No need to be nasty. I'm not here to fight. We need to talk." Renee said quickly.

"I don't have anything to say to you. I know Nathan didn't do it." Haley said simply, crossing her arms. "The last thing I need right now is some slut trying to convince me that he did."

"You don't really believe that, do you? He was single that night, wasn't he?" Renee said, shrugging her shoulders. "A couple of beers can make memories hazy."

"Get the hell out of my way, before he comes back." Haley scowled, shaking her head.

"I don't mind Nathan, he knows I like it rough. Probably needed the release since you were off on tour." Renee said, smirking slightly.

Haley scowled at her, shaking her head. "I know he didn't so it."

"What do I know? I'm just a slut. But maybe that's what Nathan liked about me. That he could do whatever he wanted." Renee said, shrugging.

Haley looked at her for a second, before her hand shot up and she slapped the girl across the face, followed by a ton of camera flashes.


	25. Chapter 25

**Finding The Way Back**

 **Chapter 25**

Haley blinked quickly after her hand connected with Renee's face, immediately wishing she could take it back. She looked over at Brooke, who looked just as shocked as she did.

She let out a deep breath, hurrying past Renee, and outside, using the back exit, keeping her head down. Her body connected with Nathan's, looking up at him quickly. "We need to leave." Haley said, grabbing his arms, turning him around.

"What?" Nathan asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I just bitch-slapped someone." She said quickly, "And we have to go."

"Who did you slap?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

She looked at him, grabbing his hand quickly, tugging him along the sidewalk quickly. "I'm not this person, Nathan. I use my brain, and think rationally."

"Haley, who did you slap?" He asked asked, stopping in his tracks. "I won't continue on until you tell me."

Haley looked at him, sighing softly. "Renee." She grumbled.

He raised his eyebrows, "She was here?" He questioned.

"Yeah, she showed up, and I don't know what happened." She let out a deep breath, beginning to pull him along.

"You slapped her?" Nathan said, laughing loudly.

"Nathan, this isn't funny." She said, running her fingers through her hair. She let out a deep sigh when they turned a corner and were met with a bunch of paparazzi.

He pulled off his suit jacket, wrapping his around her shoulders. "They probably don't know yet, so just act natural."

"Nathan, I don't know what I was thinking. She was being such a bitch." She grumbled.

"Hey, you don't have to explain it to me." He shrugged, wrapping his arm around her, pulling her closer to him, moving so his body was blocking her from the cameras. "The car should be here soon, we can start walking and meet it somewhere else if you want."

"Yeah, let's do that." Haley said quickly.

They ended up back at Nathan's home a little while later.

Nathan dropped his tie on the kitchen counter, shaking his head and laughing loudly.

"It's not funny." Haley sighed, running her fingers through her hair, sitting down at the counter.

"It's a little funny." He pointed out, smiling at her.

"I slapped a pregnant woman, Nathan." She sighed, putting her face in her hands.

He stepped behind her, gently rubbing her shoulders. "There's worse things."

"Like what?" She asked, looking up at him.

"Give me a second." Nathan laughed, kissing the top of her head. "I've never had anyone slap a pregnant woman for me before."

"She was being such a bitch." She grumbled, letting out a deep breath.

"I love you." He said softly, smiling down at her.

"I love you too, Nathan." Haley responded, resting one of her hands over his.

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back against his chest. He laughed again, resting his chin on her head.

"Stop laughing." She laughed, leaning back against him and shaking her head.

"I'm not laughing." He hummed, looking down at her.

"Yes you are." She pointed out, standing up slowly.

"Don't slap me, I'm sorry." Nathan laughed, smirking at her.

"I do what I want." She said, stepping towards him, slapping his cheek lightly.

"You want to do that again?" He asked, taking a small step towards her.

Haley laughed, slapping him again. "I think I do. I'm getting good at slapping, you know."

"You asked for it." Nathan smirked, picking her up and throwing her over his shoulder.

"Nathan!" She laughed out, gripping his shirt tightly. "Put me down!"

"Nope." He smirked, shaking his head quickly.

"Nathan, put me down." She said again, tugging on his shirt.

"You want me to put you down? I'll put you down." He smirked, hurrying into the bedroom, dropping her down on the bed. He hovered over her, beginning to tickle her.

Haley laughed loudly, pushing on his chest. "This is not what I meant."

"What? I can't hear you." Nathan responded, laughing and looking down at her.

She felt Nathan's hands slow when their eyes connected, a small smile forming on her face.

"I'm sorry." He said softly, looking down at her. "You're right. I'm being a little ridiculous. A baby? I don't know what I was thinking."

Haley reached her hand up, gently stroking his cheek. "Nathan, I love you so much, okay?" She grabbed one of his hands, resting it over her heart. "My heart races when ever I'm near you. I'm so in love with you. And trust me, I want everything that you want. I want to marry you, and have kids with you. But I just think we should wait a little while longer."

"You're right. I mean- we still have so much to figure out." Nathan said, letting out a deep sigh.

"But hey, listen to me. I'm all in this relationship, Nathan. I know you've been all in since day one. And I know it may seem like I'm avoiding you, and maybe I am a little bit. Because you're being crazy. Don't give up basketball, Nathan. Don't do it." She said softly, brushing her finger along his jaw.

He looked down at her, kissing her softly. "I love you, Haley James. So much. I'm so grateful we found our way back to each other."

Haley nodded her head, smiling up at him. "I love you too, baby."

"I'm sorry for letting Alex Dupre hit on me." He said, falling down on the bed next to her, staring up at the ceiling.

She looked over at him, sliding her hand into his, before looking up at the ceiling as well. "It's okay."

"It's not, though." Nathan said softly, closing his eyes and letting out a deep breath.

"I know you love me, Nathan. Not that I want girls all over you... I don't expect you to be rude to anyone that flirts with you." She shrugged, sitting up slowly, looking down at him. She gently rested her hand on his leg, rubbing it softly.

He sat up slowly, brushing his fingers through his hair. "I love you."

Haley smiled at him, leaning over and kissing his cheek softly, closing her eyes and nuzzling her nose against his jaw.

"You know, the season is almost over..." He began, looking at her. "I've been thinking... What if you stay up here for the rest of the season, then once it's over, I can go back down to Tree Hill with you for the off season?"

"You want to live in Tree Hill?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"I want to live with you, and you want to live in Tree Hill." He said simply.

"I was going to tell you that I wanted to move here with you." She laughed, pinching his chin softly.

"No, I've been avoiding Tree Hill. I only go back a couple times a year. Plus, if Luke can handle living there then I know I can." Nathan said, kissing her forehead.

"I'd love to live with you, Nathan Scott. But are you sure you can handle me being here all the time?" Haley hummed, kissing his cheek lightly.

"Seeing you all the time? Oh, I know I can. I have a whole list of people you can slap." He smirked at her, laughing quietly and standing up.

"I take it back, I don't want to live here." She said, shaking her head.

"You take that back." He said, rolling his eyes and chuckling.

"I won't." She shrugged, standing up.

"You'll love living with me, Haley James. Maybe you'll see Quinn more." He said, smirking slightly.

"How much time does she really spend here?" She frowned, curling her fingers in his belt loops, pulling him closer.

"A lot. I don't know exactly what's happened between them, but I'm tired of it." Nathan said simply, sighing. "All Clay tells me about this whole situation is that he'll take care of it."

She rubbed his cheek softly, looking up at him. "Would you like me to talk to them?"

"No, it's fine. You take care of the dirty work, I'll take care of the talking." He laughed, smirking at her.

Haley punched his arm softly, shaking her head. "You're the worst." She grumbled.

"I'm in awe. You're a badass." He laughed, kissing her head.

She laughed, rolling her eyes and turning her back to him, glancing over her shoulder. "Will you unzip me?"

He raised his eyebrows, smirking slightly. "You know I will." He hummed, kissing the side of her neck.

"Since we're moving in together, we're going to have to lay down some ground rules." Haley said softly, glancing back at him.

"Mhm." Nathan hummed, nuzzling his nose into the crook of her neck.

"This isn't going to be your house where you pay for everything. If we're going to live together it needs to be equal." She said to him.

"Whatever you say." He mumbled, biting down on her shoulder softly.

"You haven't listened to a word I said since I asked you to unzip me, have you?" She asked him, chuckling quietly.

"Nope." He responded, smirking slightly.

"Yet you still haven't undressed me." Haley said, shaking her head. "You must be losing your touch, Scott."

"That's not even a little bit true." He responded, smirking slightly. "I just want to apologize to you once more because of the way I acted earlier."

She smiled at him, glancing over her shoulder. "I'm sorry too. Now get this dress off me."


	26. Chapter 26

**Finding The Way Back**

 **Chapter 26**

"Nathan, get the door! I just got out of the shower!" Haley yelled out to her sleeping boyfriend.

Nathan grumbled under his breath, getting out of bed slowly, pulling on basketball shorts and a t-shirt. He walked out of the room slowly, flattening out his hair. He pulled open the door, a scowl forming on his face. "What are you doing here?" He snapped.

"Nice to see you again, Nathan. Mind if I come in?" Renee asked, smiling up at him.

"Yeah, I mind. How did you find my house?" He glared at her, rolling his eyes.

"It wasn't hard. I'm not here to talk to you, I'm here to talk to Haley." She said, looking up at him.

"Haley doesn't want to talk to you, trust me." He assured her, shaking his head.

"I had police that were wanting to come here, Nathan. But I told them to let me talk to her. So it's either she talks to me, or she talks to the police." Renee said, crossing her arms.

"Who's at the door, babe?" Haley asked, stopping in her tracks after she walked out of the room, frowning. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I'm here to talk to you, Haley. And after last night, you can either talk to me or you can talk to the police." Renee said simply.

Nathan looked over at Haley, shrugging his shoulders slightly.

Haley ran her fingers through her hair, letting out a deep breath. "Alright." She said, shaking her head. "Nathan, why don't you go out and get breakfast?" She said, gently resting her hand on his back.

He scowled at her, letting out a deep breath. "I'll be back in fifteen minutes, and you better be gone." He grumbled, grabbing his shoes by the door, pushing past her quickly.

"Talk." Haley said simply, shaking her head.

"Can I come in?" Renee asked her, raising her eyebrows.

"No." Haley said, letting out a deep breath.

"You still believe he didn't do it? How do you think I found my way here?" Renee asked, crossing her arms.

"No, honey. I know he didn't do it. I've known him since I was sixteen, I know him better than anyone and I know he didn't do it." Haley said, rolling her eyes. "Plus, you told everyone you had sex with him at a party, so why would you know where Nathan's house was?"

Renee raised her eyebrows, laughing quietly. "We're both victims here, Haley." She said, shaking her head.

"No, Nathan is the victim. You know damn well that he didn't so anything, but you're still going after him." Haley snapped, rolling her eyes. "So why don't you just tell the truth?"

"I am telling the truth." Renee said, shrugging slightly.

"No, you aren't." Haley sighed, shaking her head. "He's a good guy. A great guy. If he really believed this baby was his, he would own up to it."

"Maybe he's not the guy you think he is then." Renee said to her, shaking her head.

Haley let out a sarcastic laugh, "You come to his home and insult him. Bitch." She snapped, rolling her eyes.

"I'm not here to get slapped again, or to fight. We should join forces, Haley. Take him down together." Renee said, shrugging slightly, handing her a piece of paper. "Here's my number, if you ever change your mind. I gave him a chance to get out of this, but he didn't take it."

Haley ripped the paper in half, dropping it on the ground. "You're out of your mind. If you knew anything about him, you probably wouldn't be doing this. But all you see is dollar signs. Stay away from him, and from me. If you know what's best for you, you'll tell everyone it's not true."

Renee shook her head, "I feel bad for you. Because you can't tell what's true and what's not." She said, before walking down the hall to the elevators.

Once she was gone, Haley let out a deep breath, picking up the paper on the ground, and shutting the door.

Nathan returned a little while later, finding Haley sitting on the couch, lost in thought. "Hey beautiful." He said quietly, sitting down next to her.

"Hey." She responded, looking over at him. "How're you doing?"

"Pretty good, besides the fact that some psycho chick showed up at my house and my girlfriend kicked me out while I'm completely commando." He chuckled, looking at her.

"Nice to know." She said, smiling slightly.

He rested his hand on her leg, kissing her head softly. "So? What did she want?"

"Just saying everything she's already said. I can't figure why she's so persistent that you did it, Nathan." Haley sighed, looking at him.

"I don't know why either." He said, closing his eyes.

"I just wish there was something I could do to take this away from you." She sighed, rubbing his chest softly, kissing his cheek.

"Being here with me is all you ever need to do, Hales." He assured her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "I didn't go get food. I called Clay."

"And?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

"No answer. I tried calling him probably fifteen times." He said, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"It's pretty early still, maybe he's asleep?" She suggested, lifting her legs up and laying them over his lap.

Nathan looked at her, shaking his head and resting his head back against the couch. "I'm sorry you're in this mess."

She smiled at him, resting her hand on the back of his head, tangling her fingers in his dark hair. "It's worth it."

"That means everything to me right now." He said, smiling at her. "Your bitch slap means everything too."

"Ha, ha. You're hilarious." Haley grumbled sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

He rubbed her legs softly, letting out a small sigh, closing his eyes.

She rubbed his neck, gently playing with the tag sticking out of his t-shirt.

"What am I going to do, Hales?" Nathan asked, looking over at her.

She leaned over, kissing his cheek. "I don't know, babe. But we'll figure it out. I promise, everything is going to be okay."

"I love you. Thank you for being willing to stick through this." He said softly.

"You're worth it." Haley assured him, rubbing his shoulder.

"What else did she say?" He asked her, sighing softly.

"Well, she gave me her phone number." She shrugged, holding out the two pieces of paper to him.

"What? Why?" He frowned, raising his eyebrows.

"Because she claims that we're both victims, and that I can call he when I come to my senses and we can work through this together, or something like that." She sighed, shaking her head, kissing Nathan's cheek softly.

"Wow." He sighed, closing his eyes and shaking his head.

"Okay... You know me pretty well, Nathan. Right?" Haley asked him, raising her eyebrows. "You know that I typically don't do things without thinking them through, right?"

"Yeah?" He questioned her, looking at her.

"Well, while you were gone I had some time to think." She said, tugging on his t-shirt softly.

"What do you mean?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

Haley looked at him, sighing softly. "I have an idea, but I need you to trust me."


	27. Chapter 27

**Finding The Way Back**

 **Chapter 27**

"Tune in later tonight to see new best friends Haley James and Renee Richardson talk about their relationships with The Knicks Point Guard, Nathan Scott."

The TV rang in the back ground as Nathan poured himself another shot. He let out a deep breath, picking up his phone.

There was a soft knock, before Clay entered the the home. "Hey buddy." He said, smiling slightly.

"What?" Nathan grumbled, glancing over at him.

"Well, for starters... I'm here to tell you to shave your beard." Clay chuckled, slinging his arm around Nathan's shoulders, taking the shot glass from him and drinking it.

"That was mine." Nathan sighed, shaking his head and rubbing his chin.

"You've been drinking a lot." Clay said, patting his back.

"I miss her." Nathan sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I miss her so much. We were supposed to be living in Tree Hill right now." He mumbled.

"I know, man. I know." Clay sighed, frowning at him.

"Instead she's off with that chick! Why the hell is this happening I me, Clay?" Nathan asked him, letting out a deep breath.

"I don't know, dude. But we're going to fix it. Not me, you, and Quinn. Not me and Quinn. You and me, buddy. We're going to get you through this." Clay assured him.

Nathan looked at him, shaking his head. "I hate this."

"I understand, Nathan." Clay said, sighing softly. "Have you gotten any sleep?"

"A little." Nathan replied, shrugging. "It just sucks. I know we've spent quite a bit of time apart, but I thought that finally we were going to get to be happy."

"There's still time to find that happiness, Nate." Clay said softly. "Are you going to watch tonight?"

"Yeah." Nathan sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

"Do you want me to watch it with you?" Clay asked him, raising his eyebrows.

"Isn't Quinn in town?" Nathan responded, shaking his head.

"No. She's at her parents." Clay said, tapping his fingers on the counter.

"They've been calling me." Nathan said, pulling another shot glass out of the cabinet, pouring himself another shot.

"Have you been answering?" Clay asked, raising his eyebrows.

"No. I don't know what to say." Nathan whispered, letting out a deep breath.

"Why don't you just tell them the truth?" Clay suggested.

"Because, I don't know how they'll respond. This is all so hard." Nathan grumbled, scrolling through some pictures of Haley he'd taken. "It's been a month, Clay."

Clay grabbed his phone, shutting it off. "Have you talked to her?"

"Sometimes." Nathan said simply, shrugging his shoulders slightly.

"Why don't you call her more often?" Clay frowned, shaking his head.

"Hearing her voice and knowing she's not here just makes me sad." Nathan grumbled, taking another shot.

"Okay, you need to snap out of this." Clay chuckled, shaking his head.

"I just miss her." Nathan grumbled, letting out a deep breath.

"I know, Nathan. I'm sure she's just as miserable as you are." Clay sighed, closing his eyes and letting out a deep breath. "How about you go take a nap or something? Shower, shave. Do the basic things that you're supposed to be doing. Then we can watch the show together?"

Nathan looked at him, sighing softly and nodding. "Okay. But you have to go out and get pizza."

"Basketball season is over, and you decide you can start eating pizza?" Clay chuckled, slapping Nathan's stomach. "You're letting yourself go, Nate."

"Yeah, yeah. Chop, chop." Nathan grumbled, walking into his room.

Haley sucked in a deep breath, brushing her fingers through her hair, looking over at Renee.

"I know this was probably hard for you Haley, but the world should know who Nathan Scott is." Renee said, smiling at her.

Haley nodded her head slowly, "You're right." She said, forcing a smile onto her face.

"It's not fair that he's lied to both you, and me. I'm glad that you saw my side. It's been great getting to know you better this last month." Renee hummed.

Haley nodded again, standing up. "You too. I'm so sorry for what Nathan did to you. Let's get him." She said, looking in the mirror one last time, before looking at her.

Renee nodded in return, linking her arm through Haley's and pulling her out of the dressing room.

The two of them were introduced, before they walked out onto the stage, waving at the audience, taking a seat on the couch.

"Welcome, welcome! I'm grateful for you two taking the time to join us here today. How're you both doing?" The interviewer asked, smiling at them.

"I'm doing well." Haley replied, looking over at Renee.

Renee smiled, nodding her head. "Me too. Everything is about to get better."

"So... You two were unexpected friends. Especially after the incident that happened about a month ago. You know, the famous Haley James slap." The interviewer laughed, nodding at the audience. "Why don't we play the clip?"

Haley looked up at the screen, sighing softly and forcing a smile onto her face as Renee laughed next to her.

"Well, the truth brings people together." Renee said, nodding her head.

"The truth. So tell me, Haley. How did you come around to Renee's way of thinking?" He asked, nodding at her.

"You know... None of it made sense to me at all. Nathan has always been such a good guy. And he has strived to step up to his mistakes." Haley began, looking over at Renee.

There was a flash of guilt that passed through Renee's eyes, that definitely didn't go unnoticed by Haley. But Renee didn't let it phase her as she said, "He seemed like a nice guy when I was with him too. But the next morning I woke up to the hotel room door slamming."

"I really believed that he loved me, you know? We weren't together at the time, but he made his feelings well known. He told me that he would wait, and that he would be patient with me." Haley said, shaking her head. "Completely empty promises, I guess."

"So, tell me... Between the slap, and now... What happened?" He asked, frowning slightly.

"I guess I was always hesitant around the idea. I mean, he assured me over and over that he didn't do it. And I wanted so much to believe him. I wanted him to be the good guy that I thought he was. He seemed so absolutely crushed about it. I still am in shock that he did it. It just doesn't seem like him. Especially considering the fact that..." Haley paused for a second, letting out a shaky breath. "I'm pregnant as well."

The interviewers eyes went wide as he looked out into the audience. "Wow." He said, letting out a deep breath.

Renee looked at Haley quickly, "You didn't tell me that."

"I guess I was just scared. I mean... He was my everything and I just found out about it. He would have loved this baby so much, but I guess we'll never find out. I don't want my child near someone that has been lying to me, and everyone else." Haley said softly, crossing her legs.

"I wish you would have told me this." Renee said, frowning.

"What a way for him to find out, am I right folks?" The interviewer said, shaking his head. "There were pictures released days before you broke up of Nathan walking out of a jewelry store. One that is well known for selling pricey engagement rings. Did he ever get the chance to pop the question?"

"There are some things about this I'd like to keep personal. I thought he loved me so much, and I believed he did. But when he's telling you one thing, and everyone else is telling you the opposite... It gets to you. We broke up and then a day later I found out I was pregnant." Haley said, biting her lip softly, glancing at the nervous looking Renee. She started to tear up, "I just wish he would have been that guy, you know? I might be putting out too much information, but we were going to go the distance. We were talking about marriage, and our life together. It just really sucks that he's not that guy."

"Did you also hear that his contract is up for renewal? And it's not looking good for him. Rumor has it that the Knicks are looking at other point guards to take his spot. No one wants a liar and a cheater, I guess." The interviewer shrugged.

"I hadn't heard that." Renee said, shifting slightly.

"I guess the truth really has to be told and the consequences have to be faced." Haley said simply, looking down. "He's not owning up to his mistakes, which doesn't make him the man I know or the man I love."

"Haley, wait." Renee said, letting out a deep breath, a tear slowly falling down her cheek. "That may not be entirely true."

Haley faked surprise, looking at her. "Oh?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

Renee sighed heavily, "I never had sex with Nathan Scott. I made it up." She let out a deep breath, closing her eyes.


	28. Chapter 28

**Finding The Way Back**

 **Okay this is a chapter late but 200 reviews! That's so crazy. Thank you all so much. I appreciate the support this story, as well as my other stories have gotten.**

 **Chapter 28**

Nathan let out a deep breath as Haley visibly relaxed on the TV, everything else that followed completely going over his head.

"I knew she'd do it. Your girl is pretty great, man." Clay said, throwing his arm around him, picking up the remote and shutting it off once it switched to a commercial.

"It's over." Nathan said softly, leaning back and looking at Clay. "She's amazing."

"She must love you a lot. Don't lose her, okay? I've seen you push away a lot of great girls over the years, but none of them as great as her." Clay said, smiling at him.

"Believe me, dude... I know." Nathan said, running his fingers through his hair. "Same goes for you, man. You might have something real with Quinn, but I need you to focus on fixing my shit right now. Because the Knicks really are looking at a different point guard right now. But that doesn't matter to me as much. Can you look into trading me to the Charlotte Hornets? I don't care about money." He said simply, shrugging his shoulders.

Clay raised his eyebrows, nodding. "Yeah, I can do that. I can't say I'm surprised, of course. But... Are you sure?"

"Yeah. It's kind of starting to seem like I trade there or I don't play at all." Nathan said, shrugging slightly.

"Alright... I'll do what I can. Do you mind if I stick around until your lady gets back?" Clay asked him, smirking.

"Get lost, Clay. We've been in the same city and I haven't seen her for a month, so I do mind." Nathan chuckled, shoving him softly.

"Okay, okay. I have some work to do anyways. Play safe, she may not actually be pregnant, but she could easily be." Clay chuckled, messing up his hair. "Call me later, okay? We still have stuff to talk about. By the way, I know I've said it a million times, but I'm sorry about the Knicks not making it past the first round of the playoffs. You had a good season though." He hummed. "I'll see you later, man. Tell Haley that she was amazing for me."

Nathan nodded his head, leading Clay to the door, opening it. "Yeah, I'll tell her. Goodbye, don't bother me until I call you." He chuckled, smirking at him.

"Okay, okay. Bye." Clay laughed, exiting the home.

Haley arrived back at Nathan's house nearly an hour later, staring up at the door for a second. It felt so good to be back. Standing in front of the door made her heart flutter. After a month of nearly no contact, she was finally going to see him again.

She slowly pushed open the door, a smile forming on her face at the sight in front of her. It was dark, the room only lit up by candles, and there were rose petals everywhere. "Nathan?" She called out, biting her lip.

She raised her eyebrows when there was no reply, walking towards the bedroom. "Babe?" She asked, pushing open the door slowly.

Haley stopped in her tracks in the doorway, bringing her hand up to cover her mouth.

Nathan was on one knee in the middle of the dim room, candles surrounding him. He looked at her her, holding out the ring that's place was typically in his wallet, letting out a deep breath.

"Haley James-" His voice cracked slightly, shaking his head as tears welled in his eyes. "I don't know why this is making me emotional."

Haley looked at him with wide eyes, letting her bag drop to the ground next to her, "Nathan.." She said softly.

"Haley James..." He started again, looking up at her. "You have changed my life in so many ways. When I met you, I was this jerky guy, who only cared about basketball. I treated everyone around me terribly... But you wouldn't put up with that. You've turned my life around. You helped me become closer to my brother, and my mom, and make better friends. You are so much more important to me than basketball is, was, and ever will be. I love you so much. I don't know if my heart ever stopped loving you, and wanting you. No one compares to you in any way. You're perfect in my eyes. I know that it's only been a few months. I know that. But what you've just done for me, and what you've always done for me was amazing. I just want to spend the rest of my life making it up to you. I want to spend the rest of my life making you feel loved, and making you feel beautiful. I already know so much about you, but I want to spend the rest of my life learning everything else." Nathan said softly, looking up at her. He wiped at his cheeks, "I don't know why I'm crying." He laughed, smiling up at her. "So, Haley James... Will you marry me?" He asked her softly, shifting a little bit.

Haley looked at him, wiping her eyes as well. His little speech to her had caused the waterworks to flow, and she didn't know if they'd ever stop. Her heart raced at the sight of him, she just wanted to take a mental picture and keep it with her forever. And when he had started crying, it only made her tears worse. She loved the man in front of her, and would do anything for him. He looked so nervous, something that didn't happen often. Nathan was usually cool and collected, but the fact that he was nervous for her, just made her feel even more special and loved. She believed that he was the guy for her, more than anything in the world. Her eyes found his again. With the look in his eyes, Haley could tell that she'd gotten lost in her thoughts. He looked a million times more nervous than he did previously.

"Yes." Haley finally said, a grin forming on her face. "Yes, yes. A million times over, Nathan. Yes." She said quickly, rushing to him.

Nathan stood up quickly, wrapping his arms around her waist, spinning her around. "You scared the hell out of me." He said, kissing her head.

"I'm sorry. I was just taking it all in." Haley laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. "I love you so much, Nathan."

"I love you too, Hales. I hope I can spend every second of every day proving it to you." He whispered, resting his hand on her cheek, gently wiping the tears off her face.

Haley smiled up at him, kissing him softly. She gently wiped the tears off his face as well, closing her eyes and letting out a deep breath. "I love you." She said again.

Nathan grabbed her left hand, gently slipping the silver, diamond encrusted band onto her finger, lifting her hand on his lips, kissing it softly. "I love you too."

She looked down to admire her hand, letting out a deep breath. "It's beautiful, Nathan."

"Are you sure? Because I can buy you a nicer one." He said softly, looking down at her.

"No, this one is perfect." Haley responded, wrapping her arms around him. "I've missed you so much, Nathan Scott. I'm so in love with you."

"You're perfect. I've missed you too, baby. You're literally the most amazing person in the world. You just did me a huge favor." He whispered, looking down at her and smiling brightly.

"I can't believe it's finally over. You know I almost burst into tears as soon as she admitted it?" Haley chuckled, resting her hand on his chest, looking down at the ring on her finger.

"I think Clay almost did too." He smirked at her, wrapping his arms around her, lifting her up

She wrapped her legs around his waist, smiling at him. "I'm so thankful for you in my life, Nathan. I'd do it for months and months as long as I cleared your name."

"I don't know how I ended up with you, and I know I don't deserve it... But there's no way I'm going to question it." He chuckled, kissing her softly.

Haley gently ran her fingers through his hair, holding onto him tightly. "You're even more amazing, Nathan. I know it." She whispered, resting her forehead on his.

"You know, a ring looks very sexy on you." Nathan whispered, tighten his arms around her.

"Really?" She laughed, smirking at him. "Why don't we make up for lost time? What do you say, fiancé?"

He grinned at her, kissing her deeply. "I missed you. I say hell yes." He said softly, smirking and kissing her again.

Haley smiled up at Nathan a few hours later, gently tracing her fingers over his chest, taking a second to admire her hand. "You're right. My hand looks so much better with this ring on it."

Nathan chuckled, kissing her head softly. "I told you. I also told you that we'd be married by January next year. And what do you know? It's almost May, which means my prediction will come true."

"I was thinking we could get married February. Valentines day wedding." She laughed, lifting her head up, kissing him softly.

"Whatever. You think you can wait that long to be married to me?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"I know that I can't wait that long." She laughed, gently brushing her fingers through his hair.

"Good. Because I want to tell everyone that I predicted the future." He hummed.

She looked up at him, "I'm so excited to be your wife, Nathan Scott. I'm also so glad that we got this whole Renee thing cleared up."

"That is thanks to the brilliant mind of my future wife." Nathan smirked down at her, kissing her softly.

"I am kind of brilliant, aren't I?" She hummed, winking at him. Haley looked at him, raising her eyebrows. "In fact... I have another brilliant idea. Do you still trust me?"

"Oh, Haley James... After what you've just gotten me out of, I'd trust you with anything."


	29. Chapter 29

**Finding The Way Back**

 **Chapter 29**

"Haley James, where the hell are you? You told me you would call me after the show, and it's been two days. I know you're with Nathan, and I understand that you needed your alone time to get freaky but you should have at least called me." Brooke snapped into the phone.

Haley laughed, "I'm in London, Brooke." She hummed, smiling at Nathan, gently tracing her fingers over his bare chest as he slept quietly.

"London? What are you doing in London?" Brooke asked her, raising her eyebrows. "When you leave to a foreign country you should tell your friends and family. Tell your idiot boyfriend the same, because Clay had no idea where he was."

Haley smiled slightly, kissing Nathan's cheek. "Husband." She corrected her, humming softly.

Brooke was silent for a about a minute, before she spoke up. "Excuse me?" She asked her.

"He's my husband. We got married yesterday." Haley responded, picking up his left hand, admiring the gold band around his finger.

"You're kidding." Brooke said, raising her eyebrows.

"Nope. He proposed to me... And we were talking about when to get married, and we decided that it's pointless to wait." Haley hummed, tracing her fingers over Nathan's forearm.

"What the hell? Are you serious?" Brooke asked her quickly.

"I'm completely serious." Haley laughed quietly, smiling brightly.

"Are you actually pregnant?"

"No, Brooke."

"Were you drunk? Are you drunk right now?"

"No, Brooke." Haley laughed, shaking her head. "I'm just in love."

"But, Haley... Are you serious?" Brooke asked again.

"Yes, Brooke. We got married yesterday. We're going to travel for awhile. See different places, kind of stay lowkey." Haley hummed, pushing Nathan's hair off his forehead.

"I might sound kind of calm, but I'll have you know that I'm freaking out on the inside. Does anyone else know?" Brooke asked her quietly, shaking her head.

"Nope, just you. And the minister." Haley responded, tracing her finger along her now husband's jaw.

"Tell me what happened. This is not a very Haley James thing of you to do." Brooke demanded:

"Haley James Scott." Haley corrected her, smiling when she saw Nathan smile slightly.

"Haley James Scott, tell me what happened." Brooke demanded again.

"Nathan is waking up. I'll tell you once we get back, alright?" Haley hummed, kissing Nathan softly.

"Dammit, Haley. I guess you probably don't want me to tell anyone, hm?" Brooke asked her, sighing heavily.

"Not yet, please. I haven't told my parents, or anyone. Just wait a few days and we'll tell people." Haley said softly, smiling brightly.

"You owe me, Haley Scott. This is a big secret to keep inside, especially from Peyton. But I will do what I can. How long will you be gone?" Brooke asked her, shaking her head.

"I don't know." Haley said, closing her eyes.

"You're starting to act more like Brooke Davis, and I'm starting to act more like Haley James. Call me later." Brooke grumbled, "I love you! Tell Nate I said congratulations. I'm super pissed at you guys. Bye."

"Bye, Brooke." Haley laughed, hanging up the phone and tossing it to the side.

Nathan propped his head up with his arm, looking at her. "Hello." He said softly, smiling brightly.

"Mm... I love you." Haley said, kissing him briefly. "I love you so much, Nathan."

"I love you too, baby. I can't believe we got married." He whispered, kissing her again. "I'm so happy. No responsibilities. No crazy women trying to accuse me of getting them pregnant."

"Speaking of responsibilities... You have an agent and a mother to contact and tell them you're out of town. I already texted my parents, Quinn, Lucas, Peyton, and I just got off the phone with Brooke." Haley hummed, tracing her fingers along his chest.

"Quinn can tell Clay. My mom will be fine." Nathan smirked at her, wrapping his arms around her. "I love you, Mrs. Scott."

"I love the sound of that. I didn't know how much I needed to be Haley Scott until now." She said softly, pulling him closer to her.

"I hope you know how happy you've made me. Because you really have." He said softly. "Plus, the fact that we have money, and time adds to that. What do you say, Haley Scott? A month long honeymoon? Travel around the world with me?"

"Two months." Haley said, winking at him. "Unless you don't think you can handle it, husband of mine."

"Oh, baby... I know I can handle it." He said, moving so he was hovering over her.

"What do you say you rock my world, and then we go explore?" She suggested, smirking slightly.

"I think you mean rock your world again, Mrs. Scott." Nathan laughed, nodding at her.

Haley hummed, kissing him briefly, "My mistake, Mr. Scott." She said, pulling him down into a deep kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"It's a clock, Hales." Nathan laughed, a few hours later, looking up at it and shrugging.

"It is so much more than a clock." Haley laughed, grabbing his hand, swinging their arms, looking down at the ring on his hand. "I think it's beautiful."

"Not even close to as beautiful as the view I'm looking at." He chuckled, looking down at her, kissing her softly.

She looked up at him, smiling brightly. "Not nearly as beautiful as the view I have either."

"Beautiful? Can we pick a different word?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"No, I don't think so." She laughed, winking at him. "I'm pretty sure I'm going to stick with beautiful. Because I have the most beautiful husband."

"I guess I can accept beautiful." He hummed, pulling her close to him, kissing her softly.

Haley cupped his cheeks, pulling him closer to her, smiling against his mouth.

"I love you so much. And if you think the clock is beautiful, then I think the clock is beautiful." Nathan hummed, rubbing her sides softly.

"You're so kind." She laughed, brushing her thumb over his cheekbone.

"Only the best for my wife." He smirked down at her, winking.

"This all seems like a dream." Haley whispered, kissing his cheek. "An amazing dream that I never want to wake up from."

"Good thing we never have to." He hummed, grabbing her hand. "We never have to go back, you know... We could just drop off the earth and travel forever."

"Oh yeah?" She laughed, smiling up at him.

"Yeah, we could spend the rest of our lives vacationing from country to country." Nathan suggested, looking up at Big Ben, shrugging.

"What happens if we run out of money?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

"You play music on the street and we can earn a couple bucks." He laughed, glancing at her.

"Good idea." She laughed, squeezing his hand softly. "What if instead of doing that, we go to a different place every week for the next two months?" She suggested.

"I could handle that." Nathan agreed with her, smiling brightly. "This honeymoon is going to destroy all other honeymoons. Just like our engagement, which only lasted a few hours, and our wedding did. Wait, come to think of it... We destroy all other couples."

"We are pretty great, aren't we?" Haley laughed, winking up at him.

"Damn, my wife is sexy." He smirked, looking at her.

"Really? Well... I thought it was going to be fun to explore, but I think I've seen enough. Would you like to accompany me back to the hotel?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Nah, I think I'm going to stare at this clock more." He teased, shrugging.

"It's called Big Ben, Nathan. And that's fine. Suit yourself." Haley hummed. "I'll just get in the jacuzzi and open up a bottle of red wine by myself."

Nathan looked at her, smirking slightly. "Okay, okay. I'm following you."


	30. Chapter 30

**Finding The Way Back**

 **Chapter 30**

Haley blinked her eyes open when Nathan sat up, lifting her sunglasses off her eyes, smiling up at him.

"This is what you like to do? Lay on the beach?" Nathan laughed, looking down at her.

"I think it's relaxing." She hummed, shrugging slightly. "And romantic."

"You could lay on the beach any day." He said, shaking her head.

"Yeah, but I can't lay on a beach in Cancun every day." She laughed, pulling her sunglasses back over her eyes.

He looked down at her, sighing softly. He laid back down, closing his eyes for a second before he blinked the open and propped his head up and looked at her, fake coughing.

Haley sighed softly, looking at him. "We've been here for like ten minutes, Nathan."

"But you didn't even ask me to do that sexy putting sunscreen on you thing that some people do." He grumbled, shaking his head.

"When I lay on my stomach I will have you put sunscreen on my back." She laughed, closing her eyes.

Nathan reached across her when her phone started ringing, pulling it out of her bag, answering it quickly. "Hello?"

"Gross. If I wanted to talk to you, I would've called you." Brooke laughed, shaking her head.

"Nice to hear from you too." He chuckled, sighing softly.

"Whatever. Put your wife on the phone." She hummed.

Nathan handed the phone to Haley, laying back down and looking at her. "It's Brooke."

"Hey Brooke." Haley smiled, looking over at her husband, brushing her fingers over his bicep lightly.

"Hey. It's been a week, Haley. When are you going to start telling people that you're married?" Brooke grumbled to her, sighing loudly.

"We're trying to enjoy ourselves, Brooke." Haley laughed, sitting up slowly.

"Yeah, but I can't keep my mouth shut for much longer." Brooke complained, letting out a deep breath.

Haley laughed, laying down on her stomach and handing Nathan the sunscreen, who happily obliged. "I should've just waited to tell you too, hm?"

"Haha, funny. Of course you should've told me. But I live with Peyton and I literally have to stop myself from telling her every time I see her. The only relief from her is going to New York. But sometimes I meet up with Luke, or Clay and Quinn. This is so difficult." Brooke said, sighing.

"We're enjoying our honeymoon!" Nathan said, grabbing the phone back from her.

"Yes, but I can't tell anyone that. And I really, really want to." Brooke complained.

"We should've just told Peyton or Lucas. They're the best at hiding things." He responded, shaking his head.

"And what does that mean?" Brooke asked him.

"They kept quiet that they were hooking up behind your back." Nathan grumbled, holding the phone between his shoulder and ear, beginning to rub sunscreen on Haley's back.

"Nathan, be nice." Haley laughed, shaking her head.

"Rude." Brooke sighed, shaking her head. "Put Haley back on."

"No, you guys could talk for hours and hours. We're busy." He responded, sighing softly.

"Nate, you are the worst friend ever. Both of you are awful for putting me through this." Brooke laughed. "Would you just put Haley back on?"

Nathan let out a small sigh, handing Haley the phone, shaking his head.

"Okay, Brooke. What do you need?" Haley laughed, closing her eyes and letting out a deep breath.

"Can you tell people soon? I'm tired of keeping it in." Brooke grumbled.

"Yeah, we'll start telling people tonight. We just didn't want to be bombarded with questions and phone calls. We're trying to enjoy ourselves." Haley hummed.

"I understand that. Please tell them tonight, because if you don't then I'm going to start blabbing." Brooke informed her.

"Alright, alright." Haley laughed, glancing over her shoulder at Nathan. "I have to go, Brooke. I'll talk to you later." She sighed, hanging up.

"You sort of took the sexiness out of this sunscreen thing." Nathan informed her, shrugging slightly. "Well, I guess it was more Brooke."

She laughed, rolling her eyes. "Mhm. I'm sorry, baby."

"I'm done laying on this beach. Want to get in the water?" He asked, smirking down at her.

"I just put sunscreen on. Aren't you supposed to wait?" She laughed, shaking her head.

"Fine, fine. But I'm going to get in the water." He shrugged, standing up.

"Okay." She hummed, closing her eyes and laying her head back against her arms.

Nathan smirked down at her, before scooping her up into his arms. "Nope. You have to come with me."

"Nathan!" Haley laughed, shaking her head.

"No, Haley. I laid on the beach for like an hour." He pointed out, rushing towards the water.

"It was like twenty minutes at most." She laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "It's going to be cold."

"It's not that cold." Nathan laughed, standing so the water was ankle deep.

"Don't you dare drop me in there, Nathan." Haley laughed, tightening her arms around him.

"I'm not going to drop you. Feel how warm my hair is, Haley. I need to get it wet. This is what happens when you dark hair." He said, shrugging simply.

"Oh, poor baby." She sarcastically, running her fingers through his hair.

"That means I'm going to have to go under water. And since you mocked me, you're going down with me." He smirked, walking in so the water was at his waist.

"Nathan, I really don't want to go underwater." She said quickly, shaking her head. "Go put me down."

"You want me to put you down?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"On the shore." She specified, sighing softly. "You're not going to put me on the shore, are you?"

He looked at her, shrugging slightly. "Nope." He laughed, ducking down under the water with her.

The two of them laid in bed a few hours later, Haley listening while Nathan told her a story.

Nathan slowly stroked his hand up her arm, leaning over and kissing her shoulder. "Then, my foot caught a chair leg, and I tripped and face planted right in front of my date. And to make matters worse, Clay's date comes walking by and she literally trips over my head and her heel cut my face and she gave me a black eye. I looked like I got attacked by a wild animal." He laughed, shaking his head. "I was a mess without you."

"You were not, Nathan." Haley laughed, looking over at him. "You weren't."

"A part of me was a lost, and terrified mess." He informed her, kissing her softly.

"I love you." Haley said softly, getting out of bed slowly and getting dressed.

"Wait, what are you doing?" He frowned, sitting up quickly.

"We're going to call Clay and Quinn and tell them. Then Peyton, then Lucas. And then everyone else." She hummed, nodding at him.

He sighed softly, standing up and getting dressed as well. He pulled her into a tight hug, kissing her forehead. "You're my dream woman. I'm so glad we're married."

"Me too." She whispered, looking up at him and kissing him softly. She took a seat back on the bed, picking up Nathan's phone, beginning to video chat Clay.

"Do you want me to order any food? I'm kind of hungry." Nathan asked her. He smirked slightly when he heard Clay connect, before adding, "How can I not be after all the sex we just had?"

Haley looked up at him, rolling her eyes. "If you're hungry, order food and make if quick."

"Nice." Clay responded, smirking. "It's also nice to finally hear from you besides a text message saying that you'll see me in two months, Nathan. I wouldn't have even known anything about it if it wasn't for Quinn. Quinn, say hi." He hummed, turning the camera to Quinn.

"That's all you said to him?" Haley laughed, looking up at Nathan and waving at Quinn.

Nathan sat down next to Haley, wrapping his arm around Haley's shoulders. "Yeah, sorry. Well... Anyways, check this out." He hummed, grabbing Haley's left hand and showing it to the camera.

Quinn raised her eyebrows, yanking the phone out of Clay's hand. "You guys got engaged?" She asked, looking over at Clay.

Haley bit her lip, grabbing Nathan's hand and showing his ring to the camera. "Guess again." She hummed, before smiling up at Nathan.

Clay's eyes widened, "You got married?" He asked them quickly.

"Yeah, we got married." He said, letting out a deep breath, resting his head on Haley's head.

"Are you serious?" Quinn asked them.

"Hell yeah." Nathan smirked, "And we're on our honeymoon. So that's why we won't be answering anything very often."

"When did this happen?" Quinn raised her eyebrows.

"After the show a week ago. I proposed and she said yes then we decided we had waited long enough." Nathan said simply, kissing Haley's head.

"You didn't even tell me you were proposing and I was there!" Clay frowned, shaking his head. "I'm happy for you two, though. But as your agent, I recommend keeping close contact with me after what we discussed last week. Two months is a long time to stay off the grid."

"Nope. Bye Clay." Nathan said, grabbing the phone and hanging up the phone.

"What did you discuss last week?" Haley asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"It's a surprise." He responded, kissing her softly.

"I'm your wife. You don't get to have surprises any more, babe." She informed him.

"Not true. You'll find out eventually. Now let's call Luke." He smirked, winking at her.

Haley picked up her phone, video chatting Lucas. "It's so much more fun to see their reactions. I can't wait to call my parents. My mom is going to freak." She laughed, looking down when Lucas answered.

"Guys! Hey. Perfect timing. I'm at Brooke and Peyton's house." Lucas said, showing him Brooke and Peyton.

"Oh, good! We have some big news." Haley said, smiling at Nathan, before waving at them.

"Wait, wait. Me too." Lucas said quickly, nodding his head. "Let me go first. I'm so excited."

Haley raised her eyebrows, watching the confused expression appear on Brooke's face. "Okay, what's up?"

"I met with a producer today! They're turning my book into a movie." Luke said, grinning.

"Dude, that's awesome!" Nathan said, smiling at him. "Congratulations, big brother."

"Thanks man, I'm so excited. Lindsey is thrilled." Lucas smiled, hugging both Brooke and Peyton.

"What's your news?" Brooke yelled into the phone, nodding at Nathan and Haley.

"Oh, uh... We got married." Haley said casually, showing them her ring.

"What?" Peyton asked, yanking the phone out of Lucas' hand.

"You guys got married? Oh man, my news sucks." Lucas laughed, raising his eyebrows.

"I knew! I've known for a whole week and I didn't tell anyone. It was so damn hard. I'm proud." Brooke said, smirking slightly.

"Yeah, yeah. So we're going to let that process with you guys. Because we have a lot more people to tell." Nathan shrugged, hanging up the phone quickly, tossing it to the side. He looked down at Haley, smirking. "You're sexy."

"Why, thank you." Haley laughed, winking at him.

He smirked down at her, kissing her shoulder lightly. "Instead of calling the next person, what do you say we take a little break?"


	31. Chapter 31

**Finding The Way Back**

 **Okay it's been awhile and I'm not super thrilled with this chapter. Sorry.**

 **Chapter 31**

"Hey Dad... It's Haley. Haley your daughter." Haley began, looking down at Nathan, smiling slightly.

"Which daughter? You know that I have two families and two daughters named Haley." Jimmy laughed, shaking his head.

"Oh, whatever Jimmy. We all know I'm the only woman that would marry you. Hi Haley!" Lydia called out.

"Oh, Mom is with you. Great. I'm here with Nathan. Can you put me on speaker phone?" Haley asked, resting her hand on Nathan's leg.

"Nate! How's it going?" Jimmy asked, smiling over at Lydia.

"Good, Mr. James. Really good. How are you?" Nathan asked, looking up at Haley, sitting up slowly, leaning back against the headboard of the bed.

"I'm doing well! I don't hear from my youngest daughter nearly often enough." Jimmy said, sighing softly.

"I'm sorry, Dad." Haley looked at Nathan, shrugging slightly.

"Oh, Haley Bob. It's alright. Now tell me, is Nathan wearing a shirt right now?" Lydia laughed.

Haley sighed softly, rolling her eyes and picking up Nathan's shirt, shoving it into his chest. "Yes, Mom. He is." She grumbled, "Your obsession with him is very weird."

"Someone has to appreciate him since you wouldn't date him until after your tour." Lydia pointed out.

"Very good point, Lydia. Thank you. And for your information, I am not wearing a shirt. You've raised a liar." Nathan hummed, winking at Haley.

"Nathan." Haley sighed, rolling her eyes. "I'll push you off this bed, and I won't feel any guilt about it."

"So, how are things going since the whole pregnancy incident?" Jimmy changed the subject, humming softly. "We haven't heard from you since."

"Well, we got married, went to London, and now we're in Cancun." Haley said quickly, looking at Nathan and smiling slightly.

"What was that?" Jimmy asked, raising his eyebrows.

"We got married." Haley said, gently biting down on her bottom lip.

It was silent for a second, before Lydia spoke up. "Are you pregnant?"

"Why is that everyone's reaction? It's normal for people our age to get married." Haley grumbled, sighing softly.

"After being engaged for a period of time." Lydia said, laughing quietly. "Nathan, did Haley force you into this? If she did, say nothing."

Nathan smirked slightly, staying quiet until Haley smacked him in the side. "No, she didn't force me into anything."

"Dad? What do you think?" Haley asked softly, letting out a small sigh.

"We did give Nathan permission to propose... I guess I just didn't expect your engagement to last less than a day, and I expected you to have a big wedding, where your family was invited." Jimmy said, sighing softly.

"Oh, Jimmy, give it a rest. You remember what it was like to be young and in love. Planning a wedding is so much work, and it feels like it takes forever." Lydia said, shaking her head.

"We know that it was sudden, and we should've told you earlier but... It was the right thing to do." Nathan said, clearing his throat.

"We'll be gone for awhile, and we kind of trying to stay away from our phones for most of the time, so we'll call you when we do, I guess." Haley said, letting out a deep breath.

Nathan raised his eyebrows, cocking his head to the side slightly, pulling a face.

She nodded her head in response to him, "Actually, call us if you need anything and we'll answer. Sorry."

"How long will you be gone?" Jimmy questioned, sighing softly.

"Well, we don't really have a set time, but for about two months. After all that we've just been through, Nathan and I thought it would be nice to escape for awhile." Haley informed them, grabbing onto Nathan's hand, smiling slightly. "Are you okay, Dad?"

"Can I talk to Nathan for a second?" Jimmy said, letting out a deep breath.

Haley raised her eyebrows, looking up at Nathan, holding out the phone to him.

Nathan frowned, slowly taking the phone from her, letting out a small sigh.

"I'd prefer to do it alone." Jimmy added.

Nathan looked at Haley, nodding slowly, gesturing towards the door.

Haley stood up slowly, shaking her head, "I guess I'll just go take a shower. Maybe if I'm still in there once you get off the phone, you can come join me?" She suggested into Nathan's ear, kissing his cheek briefly.

Nathan looked up at her, smirking and nodding quickly. "Mhm." He hummed out, winking at her and watching her walk into the bathroom.

"Okay, Nate. Are you there?" Jimmy asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Yes sir." Nathan responded, letting out a deep breath.

Jimmy sighed softly and began, "Are you sure this was the best idea? I mean, since Haley was little she always talked about a big wedding and all of her relatives being there-"

"Mr. James, it wasn't my idea. It was hers." Nathan said, smiling slightly.

"It was her idea?" Jimmy responded.

"Yeah, all I did was propose. The rest was all her idea." Nathan replied, closing his eyes.

"Wow. Well, just make sure you take care of her, Nathan. She's my baby. She's very important to both Lydia and me, and a lot of times she's more mature than both of us so she knows what she's doing. Just make sure you appreciate her as much as she deserves to be appreciated." Jimmy said to him, "And stop calling me Mr. James, please." He laughed.

"Yes sir. I'm sorry for springing this on you, and I'll definitely appreciate her. I love and care for her so much." Nathan said to him, letting out a deep breath. "I'm grateful for your permission, and know that I would not have done it without."

"You're a good guy, Nate. Stay that way. I'm assuming you want us to spread the news to our other kids?" Jimmy asked.

"I think that was the plan, but you'll have to check with Haley on that one. But she just left the room, so I guess so, yeah." Nathan laughed, smiling.

"Alright. Well... Congratulations, I guess. I'm happy that you guys are happy." Jimmy said, smiling slightly. "And keep my daughter happy."

"I plan to. Thank you so much, sir. I really appreciate it." Nathan said, letting out a deep breath.

"Bye, Nathan. Tell Haley I said goodbye." Jimmy nodded, hanging up the phone.

Nathan let out a deep breath, tossing the phone to the side, quickly getting out of bed and rushing into the bathroom.

"Nathan, why aren't you paying attention?" Haley asked him, poking his side softly.

"Because we're looking at rocks, and I think it's boring." Nathan responded, shrugging slightly.

"They are ancient ruins, not just rocks." She said, shaking her head and sighing softly.

"None of these even look like buildings." He grumbled, resting his hand on her back.

"I went parasailing with you, Nathan. And I really did not want to do that." She pointed out, tugging on his t-shirt softly. "Now I want to listen, so stop talking to me and pay attention."

He let out a small sigh, leaning over and kissing the side of her head. "I love how passionate you are about this kind of stuff, and you try to make me listen even though I don't care at all." He hummed, shrugging.

She looked at him and smiled slightly, before turning her focus back to the tour guide.

Haley glanced over her shoulder when she noticed Nathan was no longer next to her. She let out a deep sigh once she saw him talking to one of the girls near the back of the group, who happened to be wearing a Knicks shirt. Of course, she knew that he was just being friendly to his fans, something she admired about him. But as soon as the girl removed the hat from his head and put it on her own, and began taking pictures with him, the tour was long forgotten about. She shook her head slightly, letting out a deep breath and rolling her eyes.

Haley looked forward again right as she ran into the guy walking in front of her, nearly falling over but being steadied by him. "I'm so sorry." She laughed, shaking her head. "I was not paying attention to where I was going. Nice save though."

"Holy shit. You're Haley James." The guy said, raising his eyebrows.

She mentally added 'Scott' to the end of that, which made her want to scream it to the world because of how much she already loved the way that sounded. "I think so." She laughed, smiling at him.

"Okay, wow. I went to one of your shows in California when you were on tour with some friends and we tried hard to get backstage passes but they were all sold out. This is crazy, here I am running into in Mexico. What are the odds?" He said, letting out a deep breath. "Wow, I'm rambling. I'm sorry. I'm Calvin."

"Nice to meet you, Calvin." Haley hummed, nodding at him and glancing over her shoulder at Nathan.

"Wow, I'm sorry. This is kind of crazy." Calvin said, rubbing his neck. "I don't mean to sound like some crazy fan but I'm just surprised."

"Hey, don't worry about it." She hummed, shaking her head.

"So you like ancient ruins, huh? I think this stuff is so interesting." He began, letting out a deep breath.

"Oh, definitely. My boyfriend on the other hand, not so much. I'm pretty sure he would be sleeping right now if he could be." She laughed, smiling.

"Well, if you like this stuff, then you should definitely check out-" Calvin stopped when Nathan appeared behind Haley, nodding at him slowly.

Haley's smile grew when she felt Nathan's familiar presence next to her, her heart skipping a beat when he rested his hand on her lower back, glancing up at him.

"Hey." Nathan said after a second, eyeing Calvin slightly.

"Hey- we're just talking about all of this." Calvin said, gesturing around.

"I see." Nathan replied, nodding slowly.

Calvin shifted slightly, letting out a deep breath. "I was just telling her about some other places you guys might like to check out."

"Oh, no. Keep your mouth shut, man. I don't think I can handle any more of this." Nathan laughed, wrapping his arm around Haley's shoulders, pulling her into his side.

"Nathan, I think it's fun." Haley said, shaking her head. She looked back at Calvin. "So, you were saying?"

"I'm heading there next, and you might like to check it out, it's called the-" He was cut off again by Nathan clearing his throat obnoxiously loud.

Haley glanced up at her husband, raising her eyebrows, "Are you okay?"

"Mhm." Nathan responded, nodding his head slowly.

"Okay. Continue." She said, looking over at Calvin.

"Well, I was going to check out some more ruins tomorrow, really fascinating stuff. Maybe I'll see you there?" Calvin asked, raising his eyebrows.

Nathan inwardly rolled his eyes at the invitation, and before Haley could reply, he broke into a fit of very fake coughing, stopping his walking and leaning over, resting his hand on his knees.

Haley looked over at him, shaking her head and holding back her laughter from how obvious he was being right now. She walked over to him, resting her hand on his back. "Are you okay?" She asked again, rolling her eyes a little bit.

"I think I'm getting sick." Nathan grumbled, coughing again. "Maybe we should just go back to the hotel."

"Well... You are looking a little green." Haley responded, smirking slightly.

Nathan quickly caught onto the double meaning, standing up straight again, draping his arm around Haley's shoulders, leaning on her a bit. "Wow, I feel so sick." He grumbled.

"Sorry, Calvin. Looks like we're going to have to cut this short. If you're ever going to another concert, be sure to shoot me a tweet or something and I'll make sure you get those backstage passes." She hummed, letting go of Nathan and giving Calvin a brief hug.

"Yeah, I'll do that for sure." Calvin responded, sighing softly. "Do you mind if we..." He trailed off, holding up his phone and glancing at Nathan as he broke into another fit of coughs.

Haley smiled, "No, I don't mind at all." She hummed, wrapping her arm around Calvin and smiling for the picture quickly. "It was nice meeting you. Seriously, let me know if you come to another concert." She said, hugging him again and walking back over to Nathan.

Awhile later, the two of them were back at the hotel.

"You seem pretty sick to me, Nathan." Haley sighed, rolling her eyes.

"I was after watching that dude try to get with you." Nathan responded, crossing his arms.

"He wasn't. We were talking about ancient ruins, Nathan. I was enjoying learning all about them, but no, you couldn't handle it." She laughed, shaking her head and sitting down on the bed. "Plus, I didn't do anything when that girl was talking to you."

"Yeah, well... I don't know." He shrugged, looking down at her, tossing his hat onto the couch and pulling his shirt over his head, throwing it at her.

"Why'd you take this off?" Haley laughed, raising her eyebrows.

"Because, I'm feeling much better now." Nathan informed her, walking over to the bed and pushing her back against it, moving so he was hovering over her.

"Really?" She hummed, raising her eyebrows, gently caressing her hands over his muscular back.

"Really, and for the record... I was jealous." Nathan informed her, smiling slightly.

Haley laughed, "I know. And I was jealous too, and before I ran into Calvin, I was almost ready to pounce." She said to him, kissing him quickly.


	32. Chapter 32

**Finding The Way Back**

 **Chapter 32**

"We could get on a plane right now and fly to our new home in Tree Hill right now, Nathan." Haley said, curling her fingers around his bicep. "We're already at the airport. We could christen every room in the house."

Nathan looked down at her, raising his eyebrows. "Hm." He said, considering it for a second, before shaking his head. "You're cute, Hales. What, you think your parents aren't going to like me now that we're married?"

"No, I just would rather go home than spend a whole weekend with my family. We haven't even been home yet, you do realize that?" She pointed out. "The way you want to end our honeymoon is at a cabin in the woods with all my siblings breathing down our necks?"

"Exactly what I want." He hummed, kissing her head. He picked up her left hand, kissing the spot where her ring sat behind closed doors. "You know what I want even more? To tell everyone that we're married. My hand feels weird now without a ring on."

"Clay told us to wait until he talked to us, which will be tonight so don't worry." She hummed, looking at him and smiling. "Can you believe how quickly that went by? I mean... It's been two months. I thought I would be sick of you by now, but all I want to do is rip your clothes off." She joked, tapping his chest.

"Stop it. It's not fair to be a tease." Nathan grumbled, shaking his head.

"Let's go back to Tree Hill. Or New York, or California for all I care. I just don't want to do this." Haley said, kissing his cheek softly.

"You love your family. Plus, it's one weekend, well... Technically three says. I think you can live without this body for that long." He smirked, gesturing down at himself.

"How ever will I survive?" She questioned, shaking her head. "But the flight to Tree Hill is super quick. Plus, we are completely jet lagged. We could sleep throughout all the phone calls, everything."

"Yeah, let's do that." He said quickly, nodding.

"Really?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

"No." Nathan laughed, pulling her into his side. "I love you, Hales."

"I love you too. But if you snore tonight because you're not in your own bed, I'll push you on the ground." Haley grumbled, shaking her head.

"You say the sweetest things to me, Haley James." He hummed, kissing her briefly. "And I don't snore."

"You snore for the first day of every place we went to. I'm guessing it was because you were in an unfamiliar bed, I don't know. But that's what you did." She said, shrugging slightly.

"No one has ever told me that before. You're making that up." He grumbled, crossing his arms.

"I'm not making it up." Haley laughed, shaking her head. "Usually after I shove you then you quiet down for awhile. I don't know, Nate. I don't know."

"You just put me into a deep sleep, Haley. Because being next to you is better than anything." He sighed, kicking his foot at the ground.

"I love you, Nathan. You're so cute and cuddly." She pointed out, wrapping her arm around his waist, gripping his shirt tightly.

"Cute and cuddly? Oh, come on." Nathan grumbled, shaking his head.

"You are. You love to cuddle with me." She hummed, kissing his cheek.

He sighed softly, looking down at her. "Fine. You're right."

"I usually am. Now where the hell is that car at? I want to get this over with so we can go home." She laughed, rubbing her hand up and down his back.

After awhile, they finally arrived at the cabin, finding Clay and Quinn standing outside.

"Hey you two!" Quinn said, hurrying over and hugging them both tightly. "I'm so happy for you guys."

"Thank you." Haley said, smiling at her and looking over at Nathan.

"I'm hurt that you didn't tell me you were proposing, or getting married." Clay laughed, hugging the two of them. "But I see your reasoning, I guess."

"I think it's romantic and sweet." Quinn hummed, hugging Haley again. "A two month honeymoon might have been a little much though."

"I wish it was longer." Haley hummed, grabbing onto Nathan's hand. "Why are we all sitting outside?"

"We were waiting to congratulate you." Quinn said, smiling at her. "Well- that's not completely true. We're here because things are a little awkward inside the house right now."

"Because of us?" Nathan frowned, looking over at Clay.

"Uh, no." Clay said, rubbing his neck.

"Taylor brought her boyfriend home, and you'll never guess who it is." Quinn sighed, looking at Haley.

Haley raised her eyebrows, looking at her older sister expectantly.

"David." Quinn said, shaking her head. "Things are a little weird."

"David, as in your husband David?" Haley asked, frowning.

"My ex-husband, yeah." Quinn said, laughing quietly. "It's kind of uncomfortable in there."

"Taylor is such a bitch." Haley grumbled, rolling her eyes and shaking her head.

Nathan laughed, looking at Clay. "This sounds... Not fun."

"It's awkward, yeah. Meeting the family for the first time and this is the beginning of it." Clay said, shaking his head.

"The first time I met Haley's parents I was climbing out her bedroom window." Nathan laughed, smiling over at his wife.

"Nathan, this is not the time to reminisce." Haley said, shaking her head quickly. "What a bitch."

"We're just going to play it cool. Keep level heads." Quinn said, looking at Clay and sighing softly. "She most likely wants a reaction."

"I'm going to give her one." Haley grumbled, yanking on Nathan's arm.

"Haley, what about our suitcases?" He asked, reaching for his bag.

"Leave them. We'll get them later. You have to back me up on this, Nathan. You're my husband and this is what you do." She said to him, shaking her head.

"We'll get them, Nate." Clay laughed, shaking his head.

"Haley, I really don't think you should just storm in there and call her a bitch with all the kids around." Quinn called after her.

"I'll do what I want." Haley responded, pushing open the door, dragging Nathan in.

The first person they saw was Jason, who was hiding on the staircase with one of his kids. "I wouldn't go in there if I was you. It's super awkward." He whispered, "Oh! And congratulations. Thanks for the invite- oh wait, never mind. You didn't invite anyone." He added, shaking his head.

Haley rolled her eyes, grabbing her necklace and removing the ring off the chain, putting it on her finger, while Nathan did the same. "Shut up, Jason. Where are they?"

"Living room." Jason whispered, nodding in the direction of the room.

Haley waved at her nephew, before grabbing Nathan's hand and pulling him into the living room with her.

"Look who it is!" Lydia said as soon as Haley entered, standing up and smiling brightly. "Our newly married baby. Is two months considered newly married?"

Haley smiled at her mother, hugging her quickly. "Feels like it, so we'll say yes." She hummed, looking over her mother's shoulder, scowling at Taylor and David.

"Congratulations, you two! I always hoped that it would be Nathan that you married." Lydia hummed, walking over to Nathan, grabbing his face and kissing his cheek.

"Thanks, Lydia." Nathan smiled at her, hugging her quickly.

"Yeah, thank you, Mom." Haley said, walking to her father and hugging him tightly. "Hey, Dad."

"Congratulations, Mrs. Scott." Jimmy said, nudging her and smiling.

"God, I love that." Haley said, letting out a deep breath, looking over at Taylor when she stood up.

"Congratulations, Haley Bob." Taylor said, smiling sweetly at her. "We're so happy for you. Aren't we, David?" She asked, looking over at him.

"Uh, yes. Yeah. Congratulations. It's good to see you both happy and together again." David said, nodding at them.

"Where did everyone run off to? They must've left because they didn't want to congratulate you." Taylor said, shrugging.

"Or maybe they left because you're a bitch." Haley responded, glaring at them.

"Haley." Nathan said, grabbing her hand and pulling her into his side.

"Oh really? I'm a bitch? How was your wedding, Haley? You didn't invite any of us." Taylor laughed, rolling her eyes.

"How's Quinn's ex-husband, you slut?" Haley asked, taking a step towards her before Nathan pulled her back again.

He sent Jimmy and Lydia a panicked look, but they had about the same expression as he did.

"Why don't you two go find a room? Vivian and Jared aren't here yet, and neither are Brandon and Marisa. Andrew and Natasha are off somewhere. There's one room that has a ton of bunk beds in it for all the kids, so I don't advise setting up shop there. I'm sure you'll find a place." Jimmy said, nodding his head.

"Come on, Hales. Let's go." Nathan said, shaking his head. He nodded at Taylor and David as they walked past them.

"Nathan, you were supposed to back me up." Haley whispered to him, shaking her head. "See if I have sex with you ever again."

"Woah. To much information, my kid is right here." Jason said, pointing at his son.

"Sorry." Haley said, hurrying past them and up the stairs.

Nathan headed outside, grabbing his and Haley's bags. "You two should just go inside. I think your plan of just staying civil was a good one." He laughed. "Haley is being uncivil enough for everyone."

"This seems like a very, very bad plan." Clay said, sighing. "Why would she do this?"

"She's Taylor, Clay. She's like this." Quinn said, shaking her head.

"She's crazy." Clay whispered, looking around.

Nathan nodded, sighing softly. "She's always been kind of crazy." He grumbled, walking inside with Clay and Quinn trailing after him.

"Clay, can we talk to you?" He asked, looking at his friend, slipping past Jason on the stairs.

"Sure, buddy." Clay hummed, looking at Quinn.

"Quinn, you can come too. I don't really care." Nathan said, looking in different rooms until he found Haley sitting on the bed, texting someone furiously.

"Who are you talking to? He asked her curiously, laughing.

"Brooke." She responded, looking up at the three of them.

"I'm not surprised." He laughed, sitting down next to her.

"Okay, let's talk. Agent to client." Clay said, shutting the door slowly. "Are you two ready for the world to find out? Because questions are going to surface. You never disclosed the baby that Haley announced on TV, so people are wondering about that. You've been spotted out together, and Haley obviously isn't pregnant in the pictures." He said, crossing his arms.

"I thought it was obvious after Renee admitted it." Nathan frowned, looking at Haley.

"To a lot of people, it was. But not to all. People are going to ask what happened, how it happened, when it happened... You don't have to answer any questions you don't want to. Nathan, you haven't signed with the Knicks for another season get. People are going to talk about that, and blame Haley. You don't have to answer those questions. You can just tell all the details you're comfortable with telling. But when basketball is brought up, I strongly suggest you just say that you're working out the details, and you can't wait for another great season." Clay said, glancing over at Quinn. "Are you ready for the world to know?"

Haley looked at Nathan, smiling at him and kissing his cheek briefly. "I'm so ready."

"Me too." Nathan said, looking up at him, nodding quickly.

"That was tender." Clay laughed, smirking at them. "I think I'm going to cry."

"A hell of a lot better than any relationship that's going on downstairs." Nathan pointed out, standing up and smiling at Haley, laughing quietly.

"Ugh, I'm so pissed off about that. I don't understand how you can be so calm, Quinn!" Haley said, scowling.

"Because I'm happy, Haley. Why can't David be happy?" Quinn asked, shrugging her shoulders.

"Because Taylor is a bitch." Haley grumbled, standing up and letting out a deep breath.

"Yeah, well... Taylor has always been a bitch. This isn't news to us." Quinn said simply.

"That doesn't make this okay, Quinn." Haley pointed out, crossing her arms.

"Just ignore them, Haley. Maybe they're in love, and they'll get married. But they're probably just doing it to get a reaction." Nathan pointed out, sighing softly.

"Hey, husband. Back me up." Haley said, shaking her head.

"Taylor's a bitch." Nathan said simply, kissing Haley's cheek.

"Doesn't that feel better?" Haley asked him, letting out a deep breath.

"No. Just play it cool, because she's your sister and you have to love her regardless of her actions." Nathan laughed, shaking his head.

Haley let out a deep breath, looking at him and shaking her head, "Sweetie... I love you, but this is super messed up and you know it."

"Oh, no. I know that it's messed up. I know that. But I'm just saying that instead of punching Taylor in the face and calling her a bitch, we should stay chill." He laughed, smiling.

"Nathan's right, Hales." Quinn said, laughing. "Let's just breathe and not let it get to us."

"Poor Clay has just walked into this. At least we all knew Taylor was crazy." Nathan pointed out, nodding at Clay.

"I'm sorry about this, Clay. You can leave if you want." Quinn said, looking at him and sighing.

"No, I'll manage." Clay said, wrapping his arm around Quinn's shoulders.

"Thank you." Quinn said, smiling at him. "Maybe we should hideout for awhile though. How about we go outside and I can take some pictures of you two?"

"I like that idea." Haley hummed, tapping her fingers on Nathan's chest. "This'll be fun, I promise."

A few hours later, everyone was sitting at dinner silently, no one making a noise except for Taylor, who would randomly say something.

Nathan knew it was killing Haley to keep her mouth shut. She would tense up and open her mouth to say something but he would rest his hand on her leg and shake his head slowly, and she would calm down.

"So, how did this whole relationship happen?" Vivian asked finally, looking over at Taylor and David.

"David accidentally walked into my stripper aerobics class, and let's just say, the class was hard work, but the real work out happened afterwards. Sex, I mean." Taylor hummed, smirking and kissing David briefly.

"Interesting. I thought you gave up on being a failed stripper?" Andrew said, smirking slightly.

"Kids..." Lydia trailed off, looking over at Jimmy, sighing softly.

"I'm pretty successful, Andrew. Just ask David. Or Nathan, it's your choice." Taylor said simply.

Nathan let out a deep sigh, looking over at Clay and shaking his head.

"Speaking of Nathan and Haley. Saw your Instagram post. Really?" Taylor said, rolling her eyes.

"What? I think it's cute!" Haley scowled, looking over at Nathan.

Taylor pulled out her phone, showing everyone the picture that Haley posted. It had been one of the ones Quinn just took of them. "How can being married for two months only feel like two seconds?" She mocked, laughing. "That's just cheesy, Hales. And you, Nathan." Taylor shook her head, "She thought the view was pretty, but I know that my wife is prettier."

"There is nothing wrong with those captions." Vivian defended, shaking her head.

"There is something wrong with going off and getting married without inviting any of your family." Brandon said, rolling his eyes.

"Plus you didn't even tell us. Mom and Dad did." Jason grumbled, shaking his head.

"She told Quinn though." Taylor said simply.

"Taylor, you are such a bitch!" Haley snapped, standing up. "What the hell is wrong with you? Did you ever think that maybe you shouldn't be dating your sister's ex-husband? And you, David! What the hell is wrong with you? You're such a dick for dating our sister right after you and Quinn broke up!"

Taylor glared at her, "Don't yell at him, Haley! Your husband did the same thing."


	33. Chapter 33

**Finding The Way Back**

 **Please don't hate me**

 **Chapter 33**

Everything went silent at that. All the shouting stopped, all eating stopped. The only noise to be heard was the kids talking in the other room. All eyes were on Nathan.

"What does that mean?" Haley asked, breaking the silence. "Nathan." She said once he didn't answer, looking over at Taylor.

"Oh, you didn't know?" Taylor asked, shaking her head. "Go on, Nathan. Tell her."

Nathan kept his gaze on his plate, letting out a deep breath. "Haley, I..." His voice trailed off.

"He tried to sleep with me after you two broke up." Taylor said, shaking her head.

"Tell me that's not true, Nathan." Haley begged, grabbing his arm, shaking it. "Tell me it's not."

"I turned him away." Taylor said simply, shrugging.

"Look at me and say something, Nathan Scott." Haley said, slapping her hand on his bicep. "Say something."

"I... I don't know what to say." Nathan said softly, closing his eyes tightly.

"Look at me and tell me if it's true or not!" Haley snapped to him, letting out a deep breath. "Nathan." Her voice softened when there was no reply. She grabbed his face, turning his head towards hers. "Tell me."

Nathan avoided her gaze, letting out a deep breath. "I'm so sorry." He whispered, squeezing his eyes shut.

She let her hands fall, standing up slowly. "I have to go." She whispered, shaking her head.

Brandon stood up quickly, "Haley, don't. You stay put." He said, grabbing Nathan by the shirt, pulling him up to his feet. "It's time for you to go, asshole."

"Brandon, wait." Lydia said, letting out a small sigh. "We don't kick out family. Taylor is still here, isn't she?"

"You're making jokes!" Haley shook her head, looking at her mother. "You two always make jokes!"

"Haley." Nathan said softly, "Can we go talk about this, please?"

"You don't get to talk to her, you dick." Andrew stood up, shaking his head.

"Haley, please." Nathan begged, looking at her and letting out a deep breath.

"Back off, man." Jason said, shaking his head and standing up as well.

"I need to go." Haley said again, pushing past Nathan and her brothers, heading out the front door.

"I'm going to go after her." Quinn said quickly, standing up. "Clay?"

"I'm just going to go upstairs." Clay said quickly, looking towards the stairs. "Call me if you need anything." He said, standing up and rushing up the stairs.

"Yeah." Quinn said, hurrying out the door after her sister.

"Taylor, you're a bitch." Vivian said, shaking her head and looking at her husband, before back at her sister.

"What? She was being bitchier than me!" Taylor defended, shaking her head. "David didn't do anything to deserve that."

Brandon looked at David, shaking his head. "You're a dick, you shouldn't have came and you know it." He snapped, before looking at Nathan. "You're no better. Worse, even." He said, grabbing Nathan's shirt, raising his fist.

Nathan stood there, closing his eyes and letting out a deep breath, bracing himself for the blow.

"Brandon, that's enough." Jimmy said, shaking his head. "Don't hit him."

"You saw what happened, didn't you, Dad?" Andrew asked, scowling. "I say we beat the shit out of him."

Vivian stood up, nodding at Jared. "Go help them." She said to her husband, waving her hand at her brothers. "Taylor, I'm going to beat your ass."

"I'd like to see you try." Taylor laughed, standing up and scowling.

David let out a deep breath, "I should not be here, Taylor. Brandon is right."

"Stop it, David. You're my boyfriend and I want you here. My family can get over it." Taylor said, letting out a deep breath.

"Taylor, you're such a bitch!" Vivian snapped, pushing Taylor softly.

Andrew grabbed Nathan, holding his arms behind his back, "Get him." He said quickly.

Brandon moved towards him, before Jared stepped up, punching Nathan in the stomach.

"Sorry, Nate. Haley's my sister-in-law." Jared said softly, shrugging and stepping back, shaking out his hand.

"Kids!" Lydia yelled moving to Taylor and Vivian.

"Guys, stop it!" Jimmy snapped, hurrying over to them.

Jason stepped in front of Jimmy, looking over at his brothers. "Keep going."

Brandon stepped up next, punching Nathan in the stomach as well, smirking as he doubled over. "You're an ass." He growled out.

Nathan closed his eyes, letting out a deep breath, clenching his jaw and nodding.

"Stay away from his face so rumors don't start, but hit pretty much anywhere else." Andrew said, nodding at him.

Natasha grabbed Andrew's arm, shaking her head, "Stop hitting him, Andrew."

"I'm not hitting him, I'm just holding him here so they can." Andrew defended himself, scowling.

"Brandon, you better stop. He's had enough." Marisa said, shaking her head.

Brandon looked at her, rolling his eyes. "Back off, Marisa. He's a douche."

Jason looked over at his wife, raising his eyebrows.

"I say you keep hitting him." Isabella shrugged, letting out a deep breath.

Jason smirked, looking at Brandon. "Brandon, hold Dad back. I'm going at him."

Jimmy scowled, "You boys are being disrespectful." He snapped, trying to push past Brandon.

Vivian shoved Taylor again, slapping David in the back of the head. "Somehow you ended up way bitchier than the rest of us, Taylor! And you sabotage your relationships with everyone." She snapped.

"That is enough!" Lydia yelled at her children, causing them to stop. "Let Nathan go right now, or go home. We planned this nice weekend together and you're all fighting. So stop fighting, everyone go into different rooms. I'm done with this, you selfish kids. I'm sure your children are all freaked out by the yelling and the smashing. You are adults, start acting like it. I don't know why this always happens when you are around each other. Now get out." She snapped, pointing out of the kitchen.

Andrew dropped Nathan to the ground, kicking him in the side. "You're lucky, Scott. Damn lucky." He snapped, walking out of the room.

Brandon and Jason followed after him, doing the same. Jared looked down at Nathan, helping him up to his feet slowly. "Sorry, man." He said softly, before grabbing Vivian's hand and pulling her out.

Taylor looked at Nathan, shaking her head. "Maybe if you controlled you wife then this would not have happened. Come on David." She snapped, grabbing David's arm and walking out of the room.

Nathan let out a deep breath, leaning against the counter, pressing his face into his hands. "I'm so sorry." He whispered.

"What's the matter with you?" Jimmy said, smacking the back of his head softly. "Why didn't you fight back?"

"I deserved it." Nathan said simply, looking at them. "I'm so sorry."

Lydia looked at him, letting out a deep sigh. "Clean this up, Nathan. The mess in the kitchen, and clean up this mess in your life." She said, sending him a small smile and heading up the stairs.

Nathan looked at Jimmy, "Mr. James... I'm sorry."

"It's Jimmy." Jimmy corrected him, shaking his head. "I should've punched you myself. I still should. But I'm not going to. I like you, Nate. I think you treat my daughter right. But this isn't treating her right."

"I understand, sir." Nathan said softly, letting out a deep breath.

"I love Haley, and if this gets worse than I don't care how much I like you. I'll let my sons go after you." Jimmy said, nodding slowly. "We'll talk about this later. Go clean yourself up."

"Haley?" Quinn yelled out, pointing her flashlight around. "Haley the woods are super sketchy and it's dark out and I hate this. Please just come talk to me!" She begged, letting out a deep breath when she saw the outline of her sister sitting in the grass, looking out into the dark river. "Hales." She said, taking a seat next to her.

"This isn't fair." Haley whispered, looking over at Quinn, wiping the tears off her cheeks.

Quinn wrapped her arm around Haley's shoulders, hugging her close. "Taylor's a bitch, Haley. We already knew that."

"Taylor turned him down. He would've had sex with her if she wouldn't have done that." Haley whispered, closing her eyes. "Right after we broke up, he would've had sex with my sister."

"Haley..." Quinn sighed, rubbing her shoulder.

"She actually is screwing your ex husband so you should be more upset than I am." Haley said, looking out at the water, shaking her head. "Why would he hide this from me? He hid it the first time too, you know."

"I doubt he was hiding it from you, Haley. I'm sure he just didn't want to hurt you." Quinn said softly, letting out a deep breath.

"Why is Taylor such a slut? Can't she just find her own guys and stick to them?" Haley asked, resting her head on Quinn's shoulder.

"She's a bitch, Haley." Quinn said, shaking her head. "What are you going to do?"

"I feel so betrayed, Quinn." Haley whispered, biting her lip. "I don't know what to do."

Quinn looked at her, "You have every right to be upset, Haley. Every right. It was completely uncool for him to do that, and to not tell you about that." She said softly. "He's probably back at home getting his ass beat, and I can guarantee you that he's not fighting back. He's a good guy, Haley."

"I know he's a good guy. But how can I look past this, Quinn? It makes me sick to my stomach." Haley said, letting out a deep breath.

"I'm sorry this is happening to you, Haley Bob. You don't deserve this at all. I just want to let you know, I'll support you in what you do. If you want to kill Nathan, I'll help hide the body. If you want to kill Taylor, I'll help hide the body." Quinn assured her, hugging her tighter.

"You're a good sister." Haley whispered. "I don't want to get a divorce."

"Then don't get a divorce, Haley." Quinn said, rubbing her back.

"Why would he do this to me?" Haley asked, letting out a deep breath. "Why Taylor? Why would he go and try to sleep with her?"

Quinn looked at her, frowning. "I don't know, Haley. Maybe he was hurting and wanted you to hurt too."

"That doesn't excuse this, Quinn. This is messed up." Haley sighed, picking at the grass on the ground.

"No, of course it doesn't. But I think that you should talk to him at least." Quinn said softly. "Maybe you just need some time apart. Two months with only interacting with each other is a lot."

Haley hugged her knees to her chest, letting out a deep breath. "We can't catch a break." She sighed, shaking her head.

"Maybe you should ask him to leave, Hales." Quinn said softly. "I'm sure he won't fight you on this. He respects and loves you so much."

"Trying to sleep with my sister right after we broke up really shows how much he loves and respects me, huh? What's even worse is that Taylor was the one that turned him away. The girl that stole your boyfriend from you when you were in high school. She turned Nathan away. He could be married to her right now." Haley said, letting out a deep breath, looking down at the ring on her finger.

"But he's not, Haley. He's married to you. I'm not trying to dismiss what he did, because he needs to work for your forgiveness if you think there's a possibility you could forgive him, but he loves you, Haley. Keep that in mind." Quinn assured her, rubbing her back.

Haley looked at her, letting out a deep breath. "Quinn..." She said softly, gently biting her lip as more tears welled in her eyes.

"Haley, please stop crying." Quinn begged her, letting out a deep sigh.

"Quinn." Haley sucked in a slow, deep breath, looking down at the grass below them for a second. "I think I might be pregnant."


	34. Chapter 34

Finding The Way Back

 **Okay, I've had a lot of people commenting and asking why Nathan would do this, but he sort of did the same thing after visiting Haley on tour in the show. It was different, yes. But still. I'm sorry if anyone is upset or anything by it. I really am just doing my best to try and keep it interesting.**

 **Also I'm still working on fixing chapter 51 of New Family, I really don't know what happened but it keeps happening but I should have that up soon!**

 **Chapter 34**

Haley found Nathan in the bathroom later that night after going to the store with Quinn, then coming home and talking with her parents for awhile. He had his palms rested on the counter, and his head hung. The mirror was slightly fogged up, meaning that he'd probably just gotten out of the shower. Her eyes fell to his torso, taking in the marks on his skin, something that did not make her feel better at all, it only added to her anger and made her more upset. She slowly stepped into the room, shutting the door behind her. "Hey." She finally said, letting out a deep breath.

Nathan turned around slowly, looking at her. "Hey." He repeated back to her, running his fingers through his damp hair.

"Why the hell did you let them do this to you?" She asked him, shaking her head.

"I deserve it, Haley." He said softly, leaning back against the counter.

Haley looked up at him, closing her eyes for a second. "No you didn't, Nathan." She whispered, shaking her head. She gently bit down on the tip of her thumb for a second, letting out a deep breath.

"Haley..." He began, taking a small step towards her.

She looked at him, wiping the tears off her face. "Just give me a second." She whispered. After a minute of silence, she looked up at him again. Haley reached into the grocery bag in her hands, pulling out the pregnancy test slowly, holding it out to him.

Nathan looked at her, raising his eyebrows. "Do you think that you're-"

"I don't know, Nathan. But go wait in the room. I'll be back, and then I'm going to take it." She said to him, looking at his bruised torso again, scowling slightly.

"Where are you going?" He asked her softly, taking another step towards her.

Haley took a step back, holding up her hand. "Please, Nathan."

Nathan nodded slowly, picking up his shirt and pulling it over his head. "Okay." He responded, walking out of the bathroom.

A few minutes later, Haley had gathered all her siblings except for Taylor and Quinn in the living room, scowling up at them.

"How're you doing, Haley?" Vivian asked, raising her eyebrows, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Who do you guys think you are?" Haley began, shaking her head. "What the hell is a matter with you? You can't just beat the hell out of my husband because he did something stupid four years ago." She snapped, poking Andrew in the chest.

"We're supposed to protect you, Haley. We're your siblings." Jason said, shrugging.

"I don't need protection from my husband, Jason." Haley said, shaking her head and crossing her arms.

"You got us all out of bed to yell at us?" Brandon asked her, rolling his eyes.

"Do you guys understand that what you did was completely wrong? Did you think I would want you to beat him up? He's my husband." Haley sighed, running her fingers through her hair.

"You're our baby sister, Haley! It's our job to take care of you." Brandon replied, rolling his eyes.

Haley looked at him, scowling. "I can take care of myself, Brandon. And I'm not a baby, so don't treat me like I can't handle my own problems. Why is Quinn the only one that sees that?"

"We get it, Haley. Quinn is your favorite. You told Quinn you got married but not any of us." Vivian said, rolling her eyes.

"That's it- you know what... I'm done. Go back to bed. I don't want to talk to you guys anymore. I don't want you to talk to Nathan either." Haley said simply, shaking her head.

"He doesn't deserve you if he's going to treat you like that, Haley." Andrew shrugged, looking at her and sighing.

Haley looked at him, "You don't get to decide what I deserve, okay? This isn't a little thing that I'm going to let go, but Nathan treats me better than anyone else in the world, so don't go spreading shit about him." She said quickly, shaking her head and walking up the stairs.

Nathan looked up when Haley walked into the room, standing up quickly. "Hey." He said, letting out a deep breath, holding out the pregnancy test to her with shaky hands. "It takes five minutes."

Haley nodded, taking it from him silently and walking out of the room.

She returned a short while later, looking at him and sighing. She sat down in the chair across the room from him, closing her eyes.

"Haley..." Nathan began, letting out a small sigh. "I love you."

"I know." She responded, biting her lip. "I know you do."

"I'm a dick." He said softly, standing up again.

"This has made me realize something, Nathan." She began, standing up and looking at him. "I tell you everything. I trust you with my whole heart. But you don't seem to feel the same."

"Haley, that's not true." Nathan began, shaking his head quickly.

"It's not your fault that you're closed off, Nathan. I know that. But I need this sort of honesty and trust in my life, because right now... I don't trust you. Right now, I feel like I know nothing about you." Haley said softly, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Haley... You can trust me. You can." He said, shaking his head quickly. "I love you."

"And I trust that, Nathan. I know you love me, okay? But I don't understand why you wouldn't tell me this." She said softly, shaking her head.

"Because I was drunk and heartbroken and I'm not proud of it at all." Nathan said, looking down. "I wish I could take it back, Haley."

"Me too, Nathan." She said softly, wiping her cheeks. "I think that maybe we need a little time apart."

"What? No... Haley..." He begged, beginning to hyperventilate a little bit. "Don't do this."

"Nathan, please don't make this hard." She said quickly, biting her lip.

"No. I'm going to make this hard, and I'm going to fight you on this." He said quickly, stepping towards her. "I love you. You're my wife, and if that test is positive I'm sure as hell not taking any time apart."

"I can't do this, Nathan." Haley said softly.

"What does that mean?" He asked her, his stance shrinking back and his shoulders slouching. His face went pale as her words kept replaying in his mind, and though there was only a few seconds in between his question and her response, it felt like hours had passed.

"It means that I need to process this, because it's a big deal, Nathan. Honesty is very important to me." She reminded him. "We aren't breaking up. I just want to take a little bit of time."

"I am honest with you, Haley. You're the only person I talk to." He said softly, wiping the tears off his cheeks.

"Why didn't you tell me about this, huh? And why do you always leave when you're on the phone with Clay?" She asked him, crossing her arms.

"Because I was hoping it didn't actually happen. And the Clay thing... I told you that it was a surprise." Nathan shrugged, sighing softly and sitting back down.

"I just want you to tell me about yourself, Nathan. I hardly know what happened to you the four years we were apart. Obviously I would have remembered you telling me this." She said, shaking her head and letting out a deep sigh, glancing at the time.

"Because I was nothing without you." He said simply, sighing softly.

"But I know that's not true, Nathan! You were in the NBA. You must have some interesting stories. All I know about your ex girlfriend is that she was crazy, which I believe because I've seen it, but I've told you about my exes." Haley pointed out, crossing her arms.

"Not really, though." He said, looking at her and shaking his head.

She stayed silent for about a minute, the tension in the room only growing. When she finally spoke, her voice was soft, barely a whisper. and Nathan had to strain his ears to hear it.

"Maybe we rushed into this." She said, avoiding his eye contact.

Nathan sat back down on the bed again, his head spinning slightly. "Haley." He breathed out, shaking his head. "We didn't. I love you."

"I love you too, Nathan. But you understand that this is killing me inside. I already had to deal with the fact that you lost your virginity to my sister, but the fact that after we broke up... You immediately went to her? What the hell is that?" She snapped, shaking her head. "It makes me sick to think about it."

He opened his mouth to respond when the timer on his phone went off. "It's been five minutes." He said softly.

Haley looked at him, letting out a deep breath and closing her eyes for a second. "Let's go... Look at it." She said softly, grabbing his hand, biting her lip.

The walk to the bathroom felt like it was miles away. Despite the tension between them, they gripped onto each others' hands like it was the only thing stopping them from vanishing away. They stopped in the door way, staring at the test from a distance, before Haley stepped forward and picked it up, closing her eyes and sucking in a deep breath. She looked down at it after a second, turning to look at Nathan.

"It's negative." She whispered, letting out a sigh of relief, leaning against the wall and sliding down it slowly.

Nathan was a different story. His shoulders slumped as he sat down on the edge of the bath tub, frowning. "Oh." He said softly, looking at the rug beneath his feet.

Haley looked over at him, letting out a small sigh. "This is a good thing, Nathan. Now is not the right time to be thinking babies."

"But you were going to stay if the test was positive, and now you're going to leave me." He said softly, his head hung and his shoulders slouched.

She looked at him quickly, raising her eyebrows. "I don't want a divorce, Nathan. I don't. I just want some time."

"Would you have wanted some time if the test was positive?" He questioned, avoiding her eyes still.

"Yes, Nathan! You tried to sleep with my sister right after we broke up. That's a real dick move, buddy." She grumbled, kicking his leg softly.

"Do you even want to have kids, Haley?" He asked finally, looking up at her.

"Don't turn this against me, Nathan. You know now is not the right time to have a baby, you know it." She said, shaking her head. "There's a flight to New York tomorrow morning, I think you should take it."

"Without you?" He asked, his voice cracking a bit.

Haley nodded her head slowly, closing her eyes. "Yes. There's a training camp next week anyways, so you'll need to be there."

"Where are you going to go?" He asked her, kicking his foot at the ground lightly.

"California. I'm going to pack up some of my stuff and do some recording." Haley informed him, looking away.

"How long?" He questioned, sighing softly.

"I'm not sure. Not too long, I promise. Lucas and Lindsey's wedding is next month, so I'll be back for that." She said softly.

"Is there anything I can do to fix this, Haley?" He asked, moving so he was kneeling down next to her. "I won't talk about babies anymore, unless you bring it up. I won't ask you."

"I just keep thinking about it over and over again, Nathan. It makes me feel sick to my stomach, the thought of you two." Haley said, scowling slightly and squeezing her eyes shut.

"I wish I could take it away. It hurts me to see you like this." Nathan whispered, sighing softly. "What hurts me even more is knowing that I caused you to feel this pain."

Haley looked at the ground, letting out a deep breath and nodding her head.

"We're going to be okay. I'm going to fix this." He assured her, looking down at her.

She looked up at him, studying him for a minute. She knew he was sorry, and that he meant what he say. He was going to fix it, or at least try to. She reached her hand out to him slowly, sliding her hand over his shoulder and down his arms, trying to memorize the feeling of him. Everything in her was screaming at her to stop, but she just couldn't. She had to memorize him. The way he looked, the way he felt. Her brain was telling her to stop, but she ignored it.

Haley's eyes met his deep blue ones, that she would often get lost in, despite the time or the place. So she did it, against her better judgement of course. She pulled his face down and kissed him deeply. "Let's just pretend nothing is wrong for the night." She whispered, pulling him down into another kiss.


	35. Chapter 35

**Finding The Way Back**

 **Chapter 35**

Haley walked into their house in Tree Hill at around eight in the morning, two days before Lucas' wedding.

She looked around the home, letting out a deep breath and lifting her sunglasses off her eyes and on top of her head. She'd seen pictures of the house, but had never actually had the opportunity to see it. It was definitely bigger than the two of them would need, probably than their whole family would ever need, but it was beautiful. She nearly got lost when she was walking around it, but she did eventually find her way to the master bedroom.

Haley walked into the room slowly, examining her sleeping husband. Lucas had visited her a week ago, and told her that Nathan wasn't doing that well without her, but now she could see it. His hair longer than he usually let it get, and he had as much of a beard as he could grow. There was a nearly empty bottle on the nightstand next to him. His hand was rested on the opposite side of the bed, now doubt the place she would usually be sleeping. He didn't look the way that people usually look when they sleep. He looked uncomfortable, and restless, and he had dark circles under his eyes.

She let out a deep breath, walking to the curtains and ripping them open to let the sunlight in, looking over when Nathan started to shift slightly. She then walked over and grabbed the comforter off of him, pulling it up. "Rise and shine, Nathan!" She yelled out.

Nathan shot up immediately, looking up at her with wide eyes. "Haley." He said quickly.

"You better be out of bed in three minutes. I'm going to go start your shower, and then go make some breakfast." She informed him, pulling her sunglasses off her head, setting them down on the dresser. After a moment of hesitation, she walked over to him, grabbing his chin and examining his face. "And shave your beard. Or trim it up or something, Nathan. Make it look neater because you look homeless in the giant house."

He looked at her, nodding slowly. "Okay." He said softly, reaching up and gripping onto her wrist softly, almost as if to make sure that she was really there, and this wasn't a dream.

"Great. I will see you downstairs. Then we have to do something about your hair. It's your brother's wedding in two days, buddy." Haley said, releasing his face and heading into the bathroom to start his shower.

Nathan met her downstairs quickly, rubbing his clean shaven face. He was still in shock when Haley woke him up. He would typically sleep until about one, but some days Clay would have Lucas come wake him up and make him go on a run or exercise. He took a seat at the bar, watching her cook,

"You really should take better care of yourself, Nathan. The house is pretty clean though. Our room is a little messy." Haley said to him, looking over at him.

"Is it our room?" Nathan asked her cautiously, tapping his fingers on the smooth countertop. "Because I've been living alone in this house for almost a month."

Haley frowned at him, "Yes, Nathan. It's our room. At least I sure hope it is, because I sold my apartment in California. All my stuff is on it's way here." She said, shrugging.

"You're coming back?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"I told you I was, Nathan." She frowned, looking over at the broken man sitting across from her. They had done quite a number on each other the past month, and in the process of attempting to heal her own hurt, she was worried that she'd hurt him worse.

"I just thought that you were coming for Luke's wedding." He said quietly, clearing his throat and looking down.

She sighed softly, flipping the pancakes she had made onto his plate, setting them on the counter in front of him, putting the syrup bottle next to it.

He nodded at her, smiling slightly. "Thank you." He said softly, looking down at it.

Haley walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling his head down so it was rested on her shoulder. "We're married, Nathan. That means something to me. Of course I came home." She said to him, tangling her fingers in his hair, resting her head against his. "We just have a lot to work on and to talk about."

"I'm sorry, Haley. I'm so sorry." Nathan whispered, his arm wrapping around her waist.

"I know, Nathan." She responded, closing her eyes and sucking in a deep breath. "I'm sorry for leaving for so long."

"I'm sorry for driving you away." He replied, tightening his arm around her.

"We still have a lot we need to talk about, though. But I'd rather do it at home than over the phone." Haley said softly, nuzzling her nose into his damp hair.

"Yeah." He responded, closing his eyes. "Thank you for breakfast."

"Don't get used to it." She laughed, kissing his head. "Eat, then go find a place to get your hair cut. I would do it, but since Luke's wedding is soon I figure it's best that you look nicer than what I can do."

"It's not that long, I might be able to make it work." Nathan said, shrugging his shoulders.

"I think you should get it cut." She laughed, shaking her head. "I have to go talk to Brooke and Peyton anyways. Apparently there's some drama going on with them."

"Well, who needs to have kids when those two annoy us enough." Nathan joked, looking down at his food and sighing softly.

Haley looked at him, rubbing his back softly. "Mhm." She responded, biting her lip. "The house is nice."

"It is now that you're here." He said quietly, closing his eyes.

She looked at him, sitting down next to him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I just have a hangover headache." He informed her, shrugging slightly. "And right now, it seems like your cooking is the only thing staying in my stomach before noon in awhile."

"I know the feeling." Haley said softly, shaking her head and standing up again. "Haircut." She said, ruffling his hair. "I'll be back soon."

"You just got home." He frowned, grabbing her hand.

"I know, but I have some things I need to do. Let me know when you're leaving the haircut place and I'll head home. I love you." She said softly, kissing his forehead and hurrying out.

Haley walked into Brooke and Peyton's house, raising her eyebrows when she was met with a curly haired guy sitting at the bar, eating some cereal.

He turned around at the sound of the door closing, "Haley!" He smiled at her, waving.

"Julian? What are you doing here? In Peyton's house, where she lives." Haley frowned, raising her eyebrows.

"Last time I checked, this was Brooke Davis' house too." Julian informed her, smiling.

"Yeah, okay... But what are you doing here?" Haley asked him, looking around for Brooke or Peyton, sighing softly.

"I broke in and I'm waiting for Peyton to walk out so I can rip off my clothes and beg her to take me back." He said, before laughing. "I'm making Lucas' movie."

"How the hell did I not know this?" Haley frowned, "But what are you doing in this house?"

Julian raised his eyebrows, "I'm here to confess my love to you, Haley. I know that you're married- congratulations, by the way. But I love you." He laughed.

"Okay, I don't care anymore." She said, shaking her head.

"Julian, have you seen my-" Brooke began, walking out of her room. "Haley!" She said quickly, rushing over to her. "Oh my sweet, sweet precious Haley. I feel like I haven't seen your gorgeous face in forever." She said quickly, hugging her tightly.

Haley hugged her back, closing her eyes and sucking in a deep breath. "I missed you so much, Brooke Davis." She said, smiling brightly.

"That stupid bitch Peyton got to see you all the time while I had to stay here because Vicwhoreia is making me work non-stop at opening up a store here since I want to do it so badly." Brooke grumbled, hugging her tighter. "Our phone calls aren't filling the void in my life, tell me everything right now. Everything. I don't like it when you and Nate are upset."

"Hold on. Where's Peyton?" Haley asked, glancing over at Julian.

"She's working on putting a recording booth in Tree Hill so her biggest star doesn't have to keep flying to California whenever she has spur of the moment inspiration." Brooke informed her, shrugging.

"And what's with Julian." Haley said softly, glancing over at him.

"Julian... He's my friend." Brooke said, shrugging slightly and looking at Julian. "Sort of. More like a boyfriend, I suppose."

"You suppose." Julian laughed, shaking his head.

"What the hell, Brooke? I asked you what was going on in your life and all you did was complain about your mother! Why didn't you tell me about him?" Haley frowned, shaking her head.

"Because my dating life was going great while you were borderline divorced." Brooke said simply, hugging her again. "I missed you. I know Nathan missed you too. I dropped some groceries off at your house the other day and he seemed pretty sad. How are you doing?"

"I've been better, that's for sure." Haley said softly, shaking her head. "But things are going to be fine."

"You and Nathan will always end up fine." Brooke assured her, smiling.

"So, do you know when Peyton will be back?" Haley asked her, raising her eyebrows.

"She left pretty early this morning and told me she'd be back later. I don't know when." Julian hummed, nodding at them.

"Peyton is okay with you two dating?" Haley asked, raising her eyebrows.

"She's completely fine with it. Right now she's just trying to get past Lucas getting married." Brooke laughed, shrugging. "He kissed her again."

"You're kidding me?" Haley groaned, shaking her head. "These are the kinds of things I still want to know. I'm married, not gone. Does Luke know about Julian and Peyton?"

Brooke looked over at Julian, raising her eyebrows. "Does he?"

"I don't really know, actually." Julian laughed, shrugging. "He hasn't said anything. I haven't said anything to him about it."

"So I guess he probably doesn't." Brooke confirmed, shrugging.

"He's an idiot, you know? Lindsey is great. Peyton is great. He's going to lose both of them by being a jerk." Haley said, shaking her head and sitting down, letting out a deep breath, rubbing her temples.

"What's up, Hales?" Brooke asked her, looking at Julian and frowning.

"Nathan and I had sex again." Haley said, shaking her head.

"Good job?" Brooke said in a questioning tone, raising her eyebrows.

"No, sorry. I mean... I told you I thought I was pregnant last month when the whole Taylor thing was happening and I took a test and it was negative." Haley said, shaking her head. "But I didn't tell you that we had sex right after that."

"After you found out he tried to get with your sister, you had sex with him?" Brooke raised her eyebrows, shaking her head.

"Wait, wait. You had sex right after a pregnancy scare?" Julian asked her.

"Yes, yes. I don't know what happened. I was hurting, and he just looked so upset, and I knew I was going to be gone for awhile and I love him so I just told him that we should forget it for the rest of the night. Like a goodbye type of thing." Haley said, sighing softly. "The test was negative, I'm sure of it. But we had sex again."

"Oh my gosh, Haley... Are you..." Brooke trailed off, looking at her.

"I think so." Haley said softly, running her fingers through her hair. "I've been throwing up every morning for the past week, and I hate pickles but suddenly they sound good with everything." She said, letting out a small sigh.

"Right after you found out you weren't pregnant, were you relieved?" Brooke asked her.

"A little, yeah. Because we've only been married for two months, and I've been taking birth control like it's my religion, and we just ran into a huge bump in the road." Haley said, shrugging her shoulders. "And we both have such crazy jobs, Nathan's job keeps him away for most of the year and he'll spend more time in New York than he ever will in Tree Hill. I don't know how we're going to do this, Brooke. We're barely holding on right now. A baby getting thrown into this is going to make it harder." Haley said softly.

"Will it, though? It might make things better, Hales..." Brooke said, rubbing her back lightly.

"How, Brooke?" Haley asked, looking at her. "Because I'm all ears."

"Look, all I know is that once a baby is involved, it will be a lot harder to give up on each other. You guys are going to be fine, Haley. I know it. Don't let this Taylor thing go without getting answers, but maybe you both need to open up to each other a little bit more. Learn each other's middle names before you get married." Brooke laughed, shaking her head.

"I know his middle name, Brooke." Haley said, sighing softly.

"I know, Haley. But you guys did get married pretty quick. I knew you were going to eventually, though. Just open up your heart a little more, and I'll have the same talk with Nathan if you want. I'm pretty sure Luke has already bit his ear off a little bit though." Brooke hummed, smiling at her.

"What if he doesn't want to have a baby anymore?" Haley asked her softly.

"Haley, he'd be crazy not to want a baby with you. You're amazing." Julian said to her, smiling.

Brooke nodded at him, giving him a thumbs up. "He wants a baby, Haley. He was upset when you weren't pregnant at my Clothes over Bros thing, he was upset last month when you weren't pregnant. If you're pregnant now, he'll be happy." She informed her, smiling.

"You're probably right." Haley said softly, tapping her fingers on the counter. "I bought a test on my way over here."

"Well then what are you waiting for, Haley James Scott! Get in there." Brooke laughed, looking at Julian. "I wish Peyton was here."

"You guys can't tell anyone about this, please." Haley said, nodding at them. "Not even Peyton."

"I kept my mouth shut about your wedding, I think I can handle this." Brooke said, nodding at her. "Hurry up, I'm dying to know."

"Okay, but while we're waiting you two need to tell me about how you got together." Haley said, shrugging.

"Yeah, yeah! Get going." Brooke demanded, pointing out of the room.

Nathan walked into the quiet house, throwing his keys on the counter and letting out a deep breath and looking at the bouquet of roses in his hand, closing his eyes for a second. "Okay, Scott. Get it together." He mumbled to himself, shaking his head.

"Talking to yourself?" Haley asked him, raising her eyebrows.

He looked at her quickly, sighing softly. "No?" He attempted, before holding the roses out to her.

"They're beautiful." She said, smiling at him and taking them from his hand. "Thank you. Your hair looks good, by the way."

"The things I do for Lucas." Nathan said, smiling slightly.

"Mhm." She said, looking down at the roses.

There was an awkward silence for about a minute, before Nathan cleared his throat.

"What do you want to do today?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"I want to do whatever you want to do." Haley said, looking up at him and smiling slightly. "Wait, wait- Let me guess. Basketball. Let's go."

He blinked down at her, raising his eyebrows. "You want to come play basketball? Haley, you suck at basketball."

"We don't have to." She said, shrugging.

"No, no. It's okay. Let's go." He said quickly, looking at her.

"Nathan, thank you for the roses." She said softly, resting her hand on his shoulder and kissing his cheek.

He smiled slightly, closing his eyes. "It was no trouble." He said, hesitantly grabbing onto her hand, interlocking their fingers. "Shall we?"

She gave his hand a gentle squeeze, closing her eyes for a second. "Yeah, let's go."

After shooting around for awhile, Haley opted to sit out and watch Nathan instead. She watched him as he stepped up to the faded free throw line on the black top, staring down at the ball in his hands.

Nathan cleared his throat, not looking over at her. "My whole life, I never felt like I was good enough. I had Dan breathing down my neck, always telling me that if I didn't work harder, I'd never be as good as him, or make it to the NBA. While there is some truth to that, I never really let myself believe that I could be better than him. But I was. I have been for a long time. I never felt like I was good enough, so to compensate... I made everyone else feel like they weren't good enough. Then you came along, and I felt like maybe I was worth something. There was this girl that could see past everything stupid I'd done. You wouldn't let me tear you down the way everyone else did. You stood strong, and I admired you so much for it, I still do. You told me that I couldn't let Dan push me around. You made me feel like I was worth something, like I was good enough. There is no way in hell I was, or will ever be good enough for you, but you made me feel like there was a chance. You always pushed me to be my best, and when I fell short, you helped me up and finished with me, Haley." He said softly, bouncing the ball and looking up at the hoop. "So when you broke up with me, I don't know... I just felt sort of numb, and empty. I had an engagement ring burning a hole in my pocket, and a voice inside me telling me I wasn't good enough. I didn't mean for it to happen, but I went back to that stupid kid, that decided if I was going to feel miserable, everyone else would too. So, I went to Taylor, because I knew she would be a way to hurt you." He sighed, keeping his gaze on the hoop. "I'm not using any of this as an excuse by any means, because I know that I need to work for your forgiveness, another thing that I admire about you. I just thought that you should know that there weren't any feelings with Taylor intertwined. Just me and my stupidity."

Haley stayed quiet, blinking and looking at him. She let out a deep breath, nodding slowly. "Okay. Yeah. Thanks for... Opening up to me about this." She said softly, sending him a small smile.

"Yep." Nathan said, shooting the ball into the hoop, smiling slightly at the 'swish' noise that was made.

He looked over at her finally, letting out a deep breath. "I've never been in love with anyone else. Over the past four years, once a girl told me that she loved me all my feelings for her would fade and I would break up with her." He informed her, shrugging and going to retrieve the ball.

She looked at him, smiling at him. "That shouldn't make me as happy as it does." She said softly, shaking her head.

"When I was still in college, there was this point where I got super homesick. I know I wasn't that far from home, but it wasn't my home that I was missing. I missed your home, and your family. I knew that your parents were off in a RV somewhere, but I just missed the feeling your house had. Like a family lived there. I almost bought a plane ticket to go see you." He informed her. "No joke."

"What did you do instead?" She asked him curiously, raising her eyebrows.

"I went to a party." He said simply, shrugging and letting out a small sigh.

"One time, I was going to visit one of my siblings, and I had a connecting flight in Charlotte. I almost said screw it and I was actually looking for ways to get to Durham." Haley said softly, laughing quietly.

"What stopped you?" Nathan asked her curiously.

"My boyfriend at the time texted me and asked me how my flight was." She said, sighing softly.

"I was sort of dating this girl after your first record came out, and I took her home to Tree Hill, and she found a picture of us in high school in my mom's house, and she would not stop asking my mom and me about you. Then she found the ring in my wallet and thought I brought her home because I wanted to propose to her." He laughed, kicking his foot at the ground.

"What did you do?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"I was a little mean, honestly. I looked at her and said 'Are you kidding me?' and then she went home and we never talked again." He said, shaking his head. "I admit I didn't handle that situation well. What about you, Haley James? Ever had any boys ask you about your tattoo?"

Haley looked at him, "Yeah, a lot of people have actually asked me about it. I just tell them I like the number 23." She laughed, shaking her head. "It's not a lie. Because I do."

"You should've told them it was for Michael Jordan, because you're a die hard basketball fan." He said, shaking his head.

"Then someone would have asked me about basketball, I just know it. And I would have been outed for only watching basketball for the players." She laughed, smiling at him.

"I saw a picture one time of you at the beach and people were commenting and trying to figure out what it meant." He hummed, shaking his head. "I thought it was a little funny."

"I used to get asked about it in interviews and I would just laugh." Haley said, smiling.

"Did it bother you? Having that tie to me still?" He asked her, looking over at her.

"Not even a little bit." She said. "Did you ever date any girls that were sane?"

Nathan shot the ball into the hoop, letting out a small sigh. "Yeah. Her name was Katie- Kate." He said, looking over at her. "It's not like I spent all four years heartbroken over you. I just couldn't find a girl that I wanted to date after I'd dated you. I had a certain... Standard, I guess you could say. Before you, I would've dated anyone. But I wasn't looking for a girl to throw themselves at me. I was looking for someone that wanted to be with me for me. The girl in the corner of the party that could go from dancing with her friends, to sitting in the corner quietly reading a book." He said, spinning the ball in his hands. "And unfortunately, those kinds of girls can be difficult to find, so I ended up dating the partiers that would sleep with me on the first date, or even before the first date." Nathan sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

Haley looked at him curiously, raising her eyebrows. "Well, tell me about her."

"I was out with Clay in the morning, getting coffee before one of our meetings while he waited in the car. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going, and I ran straight into her, and spilled coffee all over both of us." He said, shaking his head. "She went off on me. While her friend was trying to get her attention, and tell her who I was. After a minute of chewing me out, her friend whispered in her ear and must've said something like 'That's Nathan Scott' and she turned, looked me straight in the eyes and said 'I don't give a damn that he's Nathan Scott, he poured his coffee all over me.' And then turned and left." He shrugged, dribbling the ball between his legs, looking at Haley and shaking his head.

Haley smiled at Nathan as he told her the story, resting her chin in her hand. "Go on."

"I felt bad, of course. But that was that. We were in New York, and there was no way I would ever see her again to apologize." Nathan said, shrugging again. "But I ran into her at a charity event. She was talking to some kids instead of talking to the adults. So I figured that would be the only chance I got to apologize, and walked over to her. She looked at me and said 'Uh, who are you again?' and I explained the story to her, and she yelled at me again because she couldn't get the coffee stain out of her shirt. It was actually really starting to annoy me when she looked at me and said 'Whatever. You owe me a new shirt, and a cup of coffee.' So that's what I did. I met her for coffee the next morning, and bought her a new shirt." He laughed, rolling his eyes. "She absolutely hated my house, pretty much for the same reason you did, because there was no except what I felt was absolutely necessary. I wouldn't let her put anything in there either. One time she brought a lamp over, and we got in a stupid fight over it. By about two months into it, I was spending more nights at her house than I spent at mine, I had stuff there, I would go there straight from practice or games. Luke liked it because he didn't have to get a hotel when he was in town because he could have my house all to himself." He shook his head, shrugging slightly. "We weren't officially living together, but pretty much. There would be an occasional night I spent at my house alone, but not much." He informed her, looking over.

"What happened?" Haley asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"We were dating for a little over six months, when she told me she loved me. She said that she was waiting for me to say it first, but I never did, and she'd been wanting to tell me for awhile." Nathan sighed, rubbing his neck. "I wanted to love her. I really, really wanted to. But when she told me, I felt nothing. I didn't feel the love she felt. I liked her a lot. But I didn't love her. I wanted to get there, but I hit a wall as soon as she said it, and all I did was stand there like a deer in headlights. She was mad, of course. But she didn't break up with me, just told me to go home. So I went home, and we went for coffee the next morning, and I heard someone talking about you. Kate was in the middle of talking, and I told her to be quiet so I could eavesdrop a little bit, and she got really annoyed. And she grabbed my face and said 'Nathan. Do you love me?' And I looked at her for about forty seconds, just looked at her. Finally, all I said was 'No' and she picked up her coffee, spilled it all over my shirt and walked out." He sighed, shaking his head. "I don't know."

"Wow." Haley said softly, looking up at him. "Thank you for telling me."

"It's kind of funny, hm? My relationship started with me spilling coffee on her, and ended with her spilling it on me." Nathan laughed, taking a seat next to Haley.

She linked her arm through his, resting her head on his shoulder. "I wonder if we would've been where we are today if we never would have broken up."

"Wherever we ended up would've been fine for me. Wherever we do end up, as long as we're together... It will be awesome." He said softly, resting his head on hers.

"You think so?" She said, closing her eyes.

"I know so. Because I've never been more sure of anything than I am about the way I feel when it comes to you, Haley. You're my rock. I love you more than anyone in the whole world." He said, kissing her head softly.

"I love you too, Nathan. I'm sorry for being away for so long. I just... I needed it, I think. I know it was hard for you, but I'm grateful for you respecting me. It was hard for me too, but I had to clear my head." Haley said, letting out a deep breath.

"I just wish I hadn't been the one to drive you away." He responded, sighing softly.

She lifted up her head, looking at him. "I love you, Nathan. I just... Wish you would've told me. I would rather not have found that out in front of my whole family." She said simply, shrugging.

"I understand. I wish that I would've been the one to tell you too." He said softly, nodding down at her. "And I expect to work for your forgiveness, Hales. You're my wife and the most important person to me. I love you so much, and I never meant to hurt you."

"I know." She responded, squeezing his arm softly. "I know."

"Have you talked to your family?" He asked her, looking down at her.

"My parents and Quinn. Quinn told me that Taylor and David have already broken up, so that's good." Haley said softly, closing her eyes and resting her head back on his shoulder.

"I've talked to all of them." He admitted, looking at the ground. "They apologized to me and said that they're protective of you. And they told me I better protect you. But what they should've said, is that I better stay out of your way because you have a mean bitch slap and you'll be the one protecting me." He laughed, smiling down at her.

"That's right. I have to look out for my man." She said, smiling and shaking her head. "I'm so mad at them, Nathan. I don't know how I'll get over this. If I get over it. They had no right to do that to you."

"I probably would've done the same thing." He said to her, kissing her head. "I'm glad I have someone as tough as you to protect me though."

"Ditto." She hummed, shaking her head and laughing.

"So how was dealing with the wonder twins' drama?" He asked her, smirking slightly.

She looked at him, shifting slightly. "It was... Um... Fine. Brooke is dating Julian."

"Yeah, I know." Nathan confirmed, nodding at her.

Haley scowled, shoving him softly. "No one even told me that, and Brooke is one of my best friends." She laughed, shaking her head.

"Sorry, sorry. Brooke wasn't my main focus when I was on the phone with you." Nathan chuckled, smiling at her.

"But did you know that Julian happens to be Peyton's ex-boyfriend?" Haley asked him, crossing her arms and looking at him.

"Really?" He asked, raising his eyebrows. "I bet Lucas doesn't know that. He's getting married in two days, so it's really none of his business."

"Do you think he still loves her, Nathan?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"I don't know, Hales. But it's something he's going to have to face eventually. I hope he loves Lindsey as much as he says he does, because he's marrying her in two days." He said simply, shrugging.

She nodded, letting out a deep breath and standing up. "Let's go."

"Where?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"Somewhere. Anywhere. I just want to spend time with you." She said, grabbing his hand.

He smiled at her, letting out a deep breath and standing up. "Well, lead the way, Haley James."

They laid on the ground in their home later that night, Haley's head rested on his stomach, a pillow propped up under his head.

"You remember in high school... When we got in that big fight and you came over to my house in that giant storm to talk to me?" He asked her, glancing down at her.

"Mhm." Haley hummed, playing with his fingers lightly.

"We laid on the ground just like we're doing right now." He said softly, smiling slightly. "Then we started arguing again, and you said you were going home, and I followed you out into the rain." He hummed, kissing her hand lightly. "Then we made out on top of my car in the rain." He laughed, shrugging slightly. "I don't even remember what that fight was about."

"Dan convinced you that I was trying to get pregnant so you would follow me to Stanford." She informed him, spinning his ring around his finger.

"Right." Nathan sighed, shaking his head. "Dan sucks."

She sucked in a deep breath, sitting up and looking down at him. "We need to talk." She said, flattening out his shirt.

"This is how it happened in high school, if I remember correctly." He sighed, shaking his head.

"There's only one big difference from high school." Haley said softly, looking down at his hand.

Nathan sat up slowly, raising his eyebrows. "Oh yeah? And what's that?"

"I wasn't pregnant in high school." She said softly, a small smile forming on her face.

"Wait- What?" He asked, looking at her with wide eyes.

"I'm pregnant." She informed him, biting her lip.

"Are you serious?" Nathan asked her, smiling brightly. "But- how? The test... I saw it." He questioned her, a confused look on his face.

"I've been feeling sick the last couple weeks, and I've had weird cravings. I took another test today, and it was positive." She said, smiling slightly. "Are you okay?"

Nathan covered his face, wiping away the tears that had welled in his eyes. "I'm going to be a dad." He said softly, letting out a joyous laugh. "You're going to be a mom! You're pregnant!" He smiled brightly at her, pulling her into a tight hug. "We're having a baby." He whispered.

"We're having a baby." Haley whispered back to him, her smile growing as his did.

"Are you okay? Upset?" He questioned, raising his eyebrows and holding her tighter.

"I'm a little scared, but I know we can do this." She responded, closing her eyes.

Nathan rested his forehead against hers, letting out a deep breath. "Can I kiss you?" He asked her quietly.

Haley wrapped her arms around his neck, rubbing her hand over his newly cut hair, nodding her head slowly.

He pulled her close to him, kissing her gently, closing his eyes tightly.

Haley quickly returned the kiss, a small smile playing at her lips. They still had a lot to work through, and discuss, but none of it mattered at the moment, they would save the talking for tomorrow. All she needed right then was to be in her husband's arms, holding into him tightly.


	36. Chapter 36

Finding The Way Back

Chapter 36

Haley laughed quietly as she tied Nathan's tie, shaking her head.

"What's so funny?" Nathan asked, raising his eyebrows.

"You just haven't stopped looking at me like that since you found out I was pregnant." Haley said, flattening her hands over his shoulders.

"Like what?" He questioned, raising his eyebrows and smiling at her.

"I don't know, like you love me." She said, returning his smile.

"I do love you." He said softly, wrapping his arms around her waist, resting his forehead on hers.

She closed her eyes, kissing him briefly. "I love you too, Nathan Scott. But you have to get going. Your brother is downstairs. He's sort of getting married today, you know."

"Yeah, well your best friend is getting married today, so maybe you should go give him a pep talk instead of me." He hummed, looking down at her.

"Yeah, I don't know about that." Haley said, shaking her head. "I kind of told him that I don't think he should marry her. When he came to visit me in California."

"What? Why?" Nathan questioned, raising his eyebrows.

She straightened his tie, sighing softly. "I think he still loves Peyton, and I was hoping that you thought that too. But the other day you made it seem like you think he loves Lindsey." She said, looking up at him.

"I'm just choosing to believe what he tells me, Hales." He said, kissing her forehead.

"But, don't you think it's a little unconvincing? I mean... You haven't read his new book yet." She pointed out, shrugging.

"What difference does a book make, Haley? You can write a book about anything. I could write a book about how to make a free throw and someone could interpret it as something else." He responded, kissing her forehead. "Just play it cool, Haley James."

"I always play it cool." Haley pointed out, poking his chest.

Nathan raised his eyebrows, laughing. "Right." He said, shrugging his shoulders.

"I'm pretty cool, Scott." She defended herself, picking up his suit jacket off the bed.

"You're right. Definitely cool." He said, kissing her cheek and taking his jacket. "I'll see you there, okay? I'll be standing up by Luke." He hummed.

"You'll be the hot guy on the altar. Got it." Haley said softly, wrapping her arms around him, kissing him softly.

"The only hot guy on the altar, right?" He said, raising his eyebrows.

She smiled at him, kissing him again. "Mhm." She said, nodding up at him.

"I love you, Haley." Nathan said, nodding at her. "I'm sure you're going to look beautiful today. And I wish I could stay here and wait for you to get ready, but sadly... I can't. I'll see you there." He hummed, kissing her once more and rushing out of the room and down the stairs.

"Took you long enough." Lucas said, letting out a deep breath. "I'm over hear trying to take deep breaths and calm myself down while my brother is doing who knows what with is wife."

Nathan smirked at him, rolling his eyes. "I figure someone has to have sex on your wedding day, since I know that it won't be you."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Lucas questioned, raising his eyebrows.

"You've sort of let yourself go, Luke. Have you always been this squishy?" Nathan responded, poking Lucas' bicep.

"I hate you. I want a new best man." Lucas responded, laughing and shaking his head.

"Damn, that sucks for you." Nathan said, throwing his arm around Lucas' shoulders. "Come on, big brother. Let's go to the church."

"That's a crazy thought. I'm getting married today." Lucas said, smiling slightly.

"Smart decision." Nathan said, nodding at him. "Maybe I shouldn't wear my suit. I don't want to look better than the groom."

"Trust me, Nate... You've never looked better than me. Don't worry about it." Lucas said, laughing quietly.

"I'll drive you to the church." Nathan said, grabbing Lucas' keys off the counter.

"Like hell you will. I'll drive us. You can drive my car back to my house after I leave in the limo, and Haley can go pick you up." Lucas said, shaking his head.

"Come on, dude. Let me drive it for a week while you're gone." Nathan said, elbowing him softly.

"I don't think so. I don't trust you enough to drive my car." Lucas said simply, taking the keys back.

"Dammit." Nathan chuckled, sighing. "Okay, okay. Let's get going, man. You have to be at the church soon. Is that what you're wearing?"

Lucas looked down at his tux, rolling his eyes. "No, these are my causal clothes."

"I was just asking because it's weird that the best man looks better than you. What if Lindsey accidentally says my name?" Nathan joked, raising his eyebrows.

"Trust me, she won't." Lucas rolled his eyes, letting out a deep breath. "I'm so nervous, we better go before I collapse."

"Don't be nervous, man. Lindsey is great. Marriage is great." Nathan said, patting his shoulder and glancing over his shoulder to the stairs.

"Says the guy whose wife just spent a month away from him." Lucas grumbled. "Wow, I'm sorry. That was mean."

"Calm down, Luke. Just breathe." Nathan laughed, pushing Lucas towards the door. "We have to go. Bye Hales!" He yelled out.

"Bye Haley!" Lucas called out, following his younger brother out.

Haley walked down the sidewalk that led up to the church awhile later, glancing up when a black SUV pulled up next to her, the window rolling down. She felt shivers run down her spine at the voice that followed, looking over quickly.

"Hi Haley." Dan said, smirking at her. "You look lovely."

"What the hell are you doing here, Dan?" Haley asked him, scowling.

"It's my son's wedding." He replied, nodding at her.

"I will not let you ruin this day for Lucas, Dan. You're lucky it wasn't Lucas or Nathan that found you." She said, scowling and shaking her head.

"I heard that you and Nathan got married. I also heard that his contract is up and there hasn't been any news on that. I'm sure you had something to do with it." Dan said, looking at her.

"Don't. Don't talk to me. You can't go in there." Haley said to him, shaking her head. "You better stay away from them, Dan. I mean it. Deb and Karen too."

"Is it so wrong of me to want to be close to my family again, Haley?" He asked, raising his eyebrows. "You're part of that family now too."

"You are not my family. Keith was like my family, and you're far from family. Lucas doesn't want you here. I'm probably doing you a favor by telling you to leave, otherwise you'd get your ass kicked by all the people in there." She said, letting out a deep breath and adjusting her purse on her shoulder.

Dan looked at her for a second, "You look nice, Haley." He said finally.

"Stop. Just go, Dan. Don't ruin this day for Lucas. Stay away." She said, letting out a deep breath.

"I'll see you around, Haley." Dan said, smiling at her, rolling up the window and driving off after a second.

Haley shook her head, letting out a deep breath and closing her eyes for a second. She walked inside slowly, sitting next to Brooke, Peyton, and Julian.

"Hey, Hales. Haven't seen you much since you got home." Peyton said, smiling at her. "How're things going?"

"They're going good. We're working on it." Haley said, smiling over at Brooke. "What about you, Peyton? You okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine." Peyton said, waving her hand. "I'll get over it."

"She's fine." Brooke confirmed. "After this wedding, she's going to have meaningless sex. And it's going to be great. She's going to find a boyfriend after that, fall in love, then get married. And Luke will come to her wedding and be happy for her, just like she is happy for Lucas." She hummed, nodding at Peyton.

"Exactly. I'm sure that there will be some hot guys here. Way hotter than any of the guys I've ever been with." Peyton laughed, shrugging.

"Hey!" Julian said, frowning at her, tightening his arm around Brooke's shoulders.

"Don't listen to her. It'll be hard for her to beat Nathan." Brooke joked, smiling up at him.

Peyton nodded, laughing quietly. "Pretty faces and jackass personalities can only get you so far though." She pointed out.

"Nathan has a great personality." Haley defended him, smiling slightly.

"We know, we're just teasing." Brooke said, rubbing Julian's leg. "We're just teasing you too. You definitely top the list of guys Peyton has slept with."

"What about your list?" Julian questioned, raising his eyebrows.

"Maybe I'll tell you one day." Brooke said, winking at him.

"Dammit." Julian sighed, looking at her and shaking his head. "What do you guys think?"

"Well, I'm biased so don't ask me." Haley said, waving her hand at him.

"Why are you biased?" Julian questioned, raising his eyebrows.

Haley looked at Peyton, then at Brooke, holding back a laugh. "Um, never mind. I'm not." She said, looking towards the alter.

"Brooke and Nathan made a sex tape in high school." Peyton informed him, laughing. "It wasn't funny then, but it's pretty funny now."

"What?" Julian asked, looking at his girlfriend.

"Why don't we talk about this later? We're in a church." Brooke said, rubbing Julian's arm and glaring at Peyton.

Haley laughed, shaking her head and smiling. She looked up when Nathan and Lucas came walking down the aisle, letting out a deep breath.

Nathan made eye contact with her from the altar, smiling at her and winking. Before leaning over and whispering something to Lucas.

Lucas looked over in Haley's direction, smiling slightly and waving, before leaning back to whisper to Nathan.

A short while later, the music started and everyone stood up to watch Lindsey come in. Haley glanced over her shoulder at Peyton, offering her a small smile, before returning her attention to the woman in the white dress.

Haley glanced over when Skillz leaned forward and whispered something she couldn't quite make out into Peyton's ear, before receiving a death glare from Brooke. She smiled, shaking her head and looking back up at Nathan, her smile growing. He looked truly happy for Lucas. It still warmed her heart to see them together, and to have them standing next to each other, supporting each other, was an amazing sight for her.

A little while into the ceremony, the minister turned to Lucas. "Repeat after me." He said, nodding. "I, Lucas, take thee, Lindsey.."

"I, Lucas, take thee, Peyton."

 **I know, I know. Totally Friends of me.**


	37. Chapter 37

**Finding The Way Back**

 **I know this is a terrible way to start just about every chapter but I'm so sorry. I literally had to force this out of me. I'm hoping that my inspiration comes back to me soon.**

 **Chapter 37**

"I looked everywhere, man... She's not here anymore." Nathan said, letting out a deep breath and looking at his brother, who stood up.

"What the hell is wrong with me? Lindsey, Lindsey, Lindsey. I, Lucas, take thee, Lindsey. How hard is that to say? What's wrong with me?" Lucas asked him, scowling.

"I don't know, man." Nathan said, resting his hand on Lucas' shoulder and sighing softly. "Maybe you can still get her."

"What's wrong with me, Nathan?" Lucas asked, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him. "Why do I always do this? Why do I always go back to Peyton? Can't I just let myself be happy?"

"Maybe, deep down you know that you won't be happy without her." Nathan said softly, letting out a small sigh.

"I can't worry about this right now, Nate. I need to find Lindsey." Lucas said, letting out a deep breath. "Just- go to the reception. I know, the party is pretty much ruined, but go. Get a drink. Save me some."

"Are you sure? I can help you keep looking..." Nathan trailed off, shrugging slightly.

"I'm positive. Go spend time with your wife and work on mending your marriage. Don't worry about me, little brother." Lucas said, nodding at him.

Nathan nodded slowly, pulling Lucas into a quick hug. "You're a great brother, Luke. Let me know if there's anything I can do." He said softly.

Lucas smiled slightly, sucking in a deep breath. "Thanks, man. I'll talk to you later."

Nathan walked into the reception, letting out a deep breath and finding Haley talking to Brooke, Peyton, and Mouth.

"Hey." He said softly, letting out a deep breath.

Haley looked up at him quickly, grabbing his hand and pulling him back out of the room. "What happened?" She asked him quickly, frowning up at him.

"I don't know exactly. This is a real Ross and Rachel situation, right?" Nathan said, shaking his head and sighing. "Pretty messed up."

"Yeah." Haley frowned, tugging on his suit jacket. "How's he holding up?"

"He's trying to find her. I think he's going to see if she's at home." He said, tugging on his tie, letting out a deep breath and undoing the top button on his shirt.

"Lindsey's family left too." She informed him, biting down on her thumb, looking around and sighing softly.

"I can't believe he said Peyton's name. If he wanted to marry Peyton, he should've married her! It's not like they haven't nearly gone at it several times in the past six months!" Nathan said, shaking his head and rolling his eyes.

"Maybe it was an accident." She said, shrugging her shoulders.

"It's not like their names are similar at all, Hales." He pointed out, looking at her and letting out a deep breath. "How are you doing? You feeling okay?" He questioned her, resting his hands on her sides.

"I'm doing fine. I'm just worried about Lucas. I feel bad for both of them." She sighed, shaking her head. "Maybe I should go talk to him."

"I think he just wants to be alone for a little while." He said, kissing her forehead and letting out a deep breath. "Did Clay and Quinn ever show up?"

"Quinn called me awhile ago and said that their flight got cancelled due to weather. I explained to them what happened, and told them not to worry about it." She said, resting her hand on his bicep.

"This is weird, right? Going to a reception for two people that didn't end up getting married? Maybe we should hijack it and make it our reception." He joked, winking at her.

"I'm sure that would blow over well." She said, shaking her head and letting out a sigh.

"You sure you're feeling alright? We can go home if you want." He said, raising his eyebrows and looking at her.

"Nathan, I'm fine." She laughed, smiling at him. "I promise."

"I just want to make sure you and our baby are completely okay all the time." Nathan said, nodding at her.

"I'm fine, honey." She said, kissing his cheek softly, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He held her close to him, letting out a deep breath. "I love you so much, Haley." He said softly, closing his eyes. "So, so much."

"I love you too." She responded, rubbing his back softly.

"Since this is a Ross and Rachel situation, maybe we could be Chandler and Monica?" He said, raising his eyebrows and winking at her.

Haley laughed, tugging on his jacket and kissing him softly. "Probably not. Besides, you're more of a Joey."

"Yeah, well you're definitely Monica." Nathan responded, smiling down at her.

"Why is that?" She questioned, raising her eyebrows.

"Because you came to my house in New York and cleaned it and picked out my furniture." He laughed, nodding at her. "Plus you're a great cook. And you're smart and good at so many things. Basically all of Monica's best characteristics."

"Good answer." She said, patting his cheek. "Maybe we should head back in there."

"Wait, wait. Why am I Joey and not Chandler?" He asked, looking down at her. "I could be Chandler."

"No, no. You're more like Joey. Attract a lot of women, you like to eat the food I make, you like sports. Oh, and you play on the Knicks and Joey likes the Knicks." Haley pointed out, tugging on his tie softly.

Nathan looked down at her, chuckling quietly. "Fine, fine. We better head back in there." He said, kissing her forehead.

"Wait a second." She said, grabbing his hand. "I was debating on whether to tell you this or not... But I ran into Dan this morning. Outside of the church."

He raised his eyebrows, letting out a deep breath and tugging on his tie until it came undone, looking at her. "Did he do anything to you?" He asked her, scowling.

Haley shook her head, rubbing the scowl off his forehead. "No. He just talked to me."

"What did he say?" He questioned her, resting his hands on her shoulders.

"He was talking about going into the church, and I told him to go away." She said, sighing softly.

"You didn't say anything to him about the baby, did you?" He asked her, breathing deeply to calm himself down.

"No, no. No one knows but Brooke and Julian. I don't think Brooke told Peyton, at least." She said softly.

"I can't believe he showed up here." Nathan grumbled, rolling his eyes. "What a dick! What gives him the right to show up here? And to talk to you... I should go find him a kick his ass. Did he say anything else?"

"He told me he'd see me around. But then he left." Haley shrugged slightly, looking up at her husbands frustrated face. "Breathe, Nathan. Stop letting him get to you, okay?"

"I just don't understand what goes through his mind, Haley. What made him think this was a good idea? Was he just trying to get a rise out of us? Because surely he had to have known that he wouldn't make it very far in the church. Someone would've kicked him out. Keith was practically Luke's dad and he killed him. Why would Lucas ever want Dan to come to his wedding?" He said, letting out a deep breath and turning away, pulling his tie off and throwing it.

She watched him for a minute, before rubbing her hand over the tense muscles in his back. "I'm sorry, Nathan."

"You didn't do anything, Haley. I just got stuck with a dumbass father that murdered his own brother." He said softly, looking at the ground.

"Maybe we should just go back in there, and see if we can try and cheer everyone up?" She said, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him close to her.

"Give me a minute." He responded, looking over at her and letting out a deep breath.

Haley nodded slowly, walking over and picking up his tie off the ground. She turned back to him, offering him a small smile. "I love you, Nathan." She said softly.

"I love you too." Nathan responded, kissing her forehead softly. "I'll be in there in a minute."

She looked at him for a second, nodding up at him. She could tell he was keeping his cool until she walked out of the room. His jaw was clenched and he was squeezing his hands in and out of fists. "Are you sure?" She asked him, resting her hand on his arm.

"I love you, Haley... But give me a minute, okay?" He said softly, nodding down at her.

Haley kissed him briefly, smiling slightly. "Okay." She said, heading back into the room.

Nathan pulled up in front of Lucas' house a few hours later, looking over at his wife. "You want me to go in with you?"

She shook her head, "No, no. That's alright." She said, resting her hand on his leg.

"Do you want me to wait out here?" He questioned, raising his eyebrows.

"No. Go home and go to bed. You look tired." Haley said, squeezing his leg softly. "I'll see you at home."

He smiled at her, leaning over and hugging her tightly. "Home." He repeated back to her, letting out a deep breath. "I missed you. I'll see you at home. Call me if you need anything."

She wrapped her arm tightly around him, "I will. See you in a little while." She hummed, getting out of the car slowly, looking over and waving at her husband.

Haley walked up to the door outside of Lucas' room, knocking on it loudly. At the sound of a quiet 'come in' she entered, waving at Nathan once more, before the door closed behind her.

Lucas sat on his bed, his head in his hands, still wearing his tux. If she had to guess, he had probably been sitting in that spot for a few hours, locked away from the outside world.

"Hey buddy." Haley said softly, sitting next to him, rubbing his back lightly.

"She's gone." Lucas breathed out, looking over at Haley. "I said the wrong damn name. She's gone. I caught her just as she was walking out to go to the airport."

She sighed softly, "I'm so sorry, Luke." She whispered.

"I don't love Peyton." Lucas said, looking at her and shrugging. "I love Lindsey."

She hugged him tightly, nodding her head. "I'm here for you. Anything you need. You can come to me. You're my best friend."

"Peyton came and talked to me yesterday, Haley." He said, sighing softly and looking at his friend. "She wasn't trying to talk me out of it, or tell me she loved me or anything like that. She just said that she was happy for me as that she hoped I found the one."

"And what did you say?" Haley questioned him, raising her eyebrows.

"I told her that I hoped she found the same." He said, running his fingers through his hair. "I'm a terrible guy, Haley."

"Lucas, no you aren't." She said, shaking her head quickly. "You're an amazing guy."

"Lindsey was always suspicious of Peyton. I should've... Been more comforting and told her she had nothing to worry about. But you know what I was doing? Making out with Peyton." Lucas stood up, shaking his head and letting out a deep breath.

Haley was quiet for a second, watching her friend as he walked around his room, a room that was very familiar to her. The same one he'd had his whole life.

"You aren't a bad person, Luke." She said finally, standing up and resting her hand on his back. "You're a great guy. You've just made some stupid mistakes. But we all have, Lucas. We all have."

"Why did you tell me that you thought I loved Peyton?" He questioned her, scowling slightly.

"I read your book, Lucas. Nathan mentioned to me that you couldn't even put a sentence on paper until New Years, and that was right around the time you and Peyton reconnected at Nathan's party." She pointed out. "And your book is about a lost soul that's searching for something greater, something that he once had. He can never find true happiness until he finds that greatness again."

"It was also right around the time you came back, Hales." Lucas said, nodding at her.

"Which I would believe, but you named the book after Peyton's car. Don't you see that, Luke?" She said softly, pulling Lucas into a tight hug. "How long have you known Lindsey?"

"She was the editor of my first book." Lucas said, letting out a deep breath.

"How long have you been in love with Lindsey?" Haley asked him, looking up at him.

"I can't pinpoint the exact moment, Haley. It's been probably close to two years." He said, shrugging.

"Well, how long were you in love with Peyton? When was the first time you fell for Peyton?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"Don't do that, Haley. Just because I know the exact moment I fell for Peyton doesn't mean I still love her. I love Lindsey." Lucas said, resting his hands on her shoulders. "Lindsey."

"That's great, Lucas. If you love Lindsey, that's great. If you love Peyton, that's great. You deserve to be happy. But neither of them deserve what you've been putting them through, okay? I want you to find true happiness, and I want you to feel true love. I don't care if it's with Peyton. I don't care if it's with Lindsey. I don't care if it's with another girl, but Luke... You need to be honest with yourself. So just make sure the girl that you keep telling everyone you love is the girl that you actually love." She said, nodding up at him.

He stayed silent for a second, letting out a deep breath. "I'm pretty sure I love Lindsey."

"Pretty sure isn't good enough to get married, Luke. Pretty sure doesn't hold a marriage together." She pointed out, shrugging her shoulders.

"I don't know why you think I'm in love with Peyton still, Haley." Lucas grumbled, sitting down.

"Dammit, Luke! I'm not even talking about that right now. But you're right. I do think you love Peyton. Brooke thinks you love Peyton too. And you know why? Because you keep kissing her! Get it together, Lucas. This isn't high school anymore. You can't just keep kissing everyone." She said, smacking him on the side of the head softly. "Okay, tell me how this makes you feel. You know Julian Baker?"

"He's my movie producer, Haley. I know you've been gone for a long time, but you knew that I was making a movie, didn't you?" He laughed, raising his eyebrows.

"Him and Peyton dated in L.A." Haley said, crossing her arms and leaning against his dresser.

"What?" Lucas asked, standing up. "Define dated."

"They lived together for awhile. They were in love." She said simply, shrugging.

He scowled, frowning. "What the hell? I invited that guy to my wedding, he pretty much lives with them now, he's probably sleeping with her behind Brooke's back-" He stopped, looking over at Haley.

Haley nodded at him, letting out a small sigh. "Well?"

"I see your point." Lucas sighed, sitting down and running his fingers through his hair. "You're always right." He grumbled.

"I'm not saying you don't love Lindsey, Luke. But I just think you love Peyton too." She said, sitting down next to him and wrapping her arm around his shoulders. "I just want you to be happy."

"Peyton and I never work out, Haley. Why should we go after each other again, just to end up where we are right now?" Lucas questioned, letting out a deep sigh. "Maybe I should try and get Lindsey back, because I care about her so much, and I can see a future with her."

"And you can't with Peyton?" She asked him, looking at him.

"No, I can see one with Peyton too." He said softly, looking down.

"Whoever it is you want to be with, Lucas... You need to figure it out because neither of these girls will be around forever." She said, kissing his cheek softly.

Lucas let out a deep breath, looking over at her. "So... How are things going with Nathan? You guys seem to be doing better. Please, Haley. Give me some good news."

Haley stood up, biting her lip softly. "We're doing alright. Baby steps. I think leaving for a month was a little excessive on my part, but my heart just hurt so much." She said, letting out a small sigh. She turned away from him for a second, before turning back around and looking at him.

"What?" He questioned, raising his eyebrows.

She bit down on her lip again, smiling slightly and twisting her ring around her finger.

"I know that look. Spill it, Hales." Lucas said, standing up and raising his eyebrows.

"I'm pregnant." She said finally, smiling at him.

Lucas smiled at her, "Now there's some news that I needed today." He said, pulling her into a right hug.

Haley hugged him close, letting out a deep breath. "You can't tell anyone though. We're kind of keeping it a little lowkey for now."

"Nathan must be thrilled, considering how he reacted when he found out you weren't pregnant at Brooke's thing." He said, hugging her closer to him. "That almost makes my day better, Hales. I'm really excited for you two."

"Yeah, Nathan is very excited." She said, smiling up at him.

"What about you? Are you excited?" He questioned, raising his eyebrows.

"I am, really. I'm worried the timing is bad, but maybe it will help us patch things up." Haley said, nodding at him. "It's a crazy thought, you know? That there's a little person inside of me that's half me and half Nathan."

He nodded at her, kissing her forehead. "I'm so excited for you guys! I'm going to be an uncle."

"And you have no competition for favorite uncle since my brothers are pretty much the biggest idiots on the planet." She said, shaking her head.

Lucas sent her a small smile, hugging her tightly. "I really am so excited for you two. I think that this will help." He said softly.

"Thank you, Lucas... For looking after him." She said softly, gripping his shirt. "I'm sorry today wasn't perfect for you, I really am. I wish there was something I could do."

"You just did what you could do. Really, you have no idea how much the fact that you're pregnant has lifted my spirits. I'm going to have a little niece of nephew." He grinned, kissing the top of her head. "I know that you and Nate have had a rough time the last month, and I know we talked about it a lot when I came to visit you, but you two will get past it. Just remember, you're no normal couple. You're Nathan and Haley." He said, winking at her.

"Thanks, Lucas. Always remember to follow your heart, even if it's telling you to do the opposite of what your brain says." She said, nodding up at him.

"Thanks for the help, Hales. Let me give you a ride home. I'm sure your baby daddy is waiting for you and it's getting late." Lucas said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, pulling her in close.

Upon arriving at Nathan and Haley's home, Lucas walked Haley up to the door, looking down at his outfit, a sad look appearing on his face again.

Haley kissed his cheek, hugging him tightly. "Everything is going to be okay, Lucas. You have Nathan and me, and so many other people that are here to support you."

"I hope you're right, Hales." Lucas said, rubbing her back. "Dare I say, you were one of the most beautiful people in the church today."

She laughed quietly, rolling her eyes. "I missed you so much over the past few years, Lucas. It feels good to have my best friend back."

"You too." He agreed, nodding his head. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay? Don't want to keep your husband waiting. It's getting late."

She nodded, hugging him once more. "Call if you need anything." She said, opening the door.

"Same goes for you." He agreed, turning around and walking back to his car, waving at her.

Haley smiled and waved back, before stepping into the quiet house. Nathan had not turned off any lights, which means he probably wasn't asleep yet. She began to walk around, shutting off some of the lights, which took her awhile because she couldn't quite figure out which light switches went to which light.

After a second, she noticed Nathan asleep on the couch, a small smile playing at her lips. He was almost too tall to lay on the couch comfortably, curled up a bit rather than stretched out as he usually would be. Haley took a seat on the arm rest of the couch, looking down at him and letting out a deep breath, watching him sleep for a minute while she gathered her thoughts. She was being a hypocrite, really. She had given Lucas advice to follow his heart, but here she was, staring at the man she had devoted the rest of her life to, and she felt like she couldn't do the same. Her heart was aching to forgive him so they could go back to normal, and put all the struggling behind them. But her brain just kept picturing him with her sister, and she just remembered the emptiness she felt, and the sorrow. His voice was the only thing that brought her out of her thoughts.

"Hales?" Nathan asked, blinking up at her. He cleared his throat, sitting up and raising his eyebrows.

"Sorry, I was just watching you." Haley said to him, standing up slowly. "I'm going to shower. Why don't you head up to bed and I'll meet you in there?"

He nodded slowly, standing up and stretching his arms above his head, running his fingers through his hair. "Okay." He said, letting out a deep breath, lacing their fingers together.

Haley looked down at their hands, smiling slightly and resting her head against Nathan's shoulder as they headed up the stairs. "Don't wait up for me, okay?"

Nathan nodded in reply, "We'll see." He said, winking at her and pressing a soft kiss to the side of her head. "I love you, Hales."

"I love you too, Nathan." She reminded him, squeezing his hand and heading into the bathroom.

He let out a deep breath, running his fingers through his hair and getting into bed, laying back against his pillow and staring up at the ceiling.

Haley exited the bathroom about twenty minutes later, looking at him and smiling slightly. She climbed into bed next to him, laying on her side so she was facing him, resting her hand on his chest.

"What a day." Nathan said softly, shaking his head and letting out a deep breath.

"No kidding." She said, tracing the 'K' on his Knicks t-shirt.

He grabbed her hand, kissing her knuckles softly, looking over at her. "How'd it go with Luke?"

"I don't know, really... I told him what I think, and he told me what he thinks. I don't know if I really got through to him, but we'll see." She said, nodding at him.

"You get through to people, Haley James. It's what you do." He assured her, kissing her wrist softly.

Haley smiled at him, resting her hand on the side of his face. "I love you." She whispered, resting her forehead against his, closing her eyes tightly. "I mean it, Nathan. I really do love you so much."

Nathan smiled at her, kissing her softly. "I love you too, Hales." He said quietly, closing his eyes.

They sat there quietly for awhile, neither of them asleep, just silent. Haley slid her hand down to Nathan's chest, resting her hand over his heart, feeling his heartbeat. She gripped his shirt, pulling him closer to her, kissing him softly.

Nathan raised his eyebrows, looking at her and smiling slightly. "Are you okay?" He asked her.

"I'm great." She informed him, kissing him again. "I told Lucas about the baby."

"How'd he react?" He questioned, smiling brightly.

"He was pretty excited for us. He said it made his day a little better." She said, smiling at him.

"Anything that makes this day better for him is good news." He responded, resting his hand on her flat stomach. "There's a little baby inside of you right now, Hales. I just want you to know that I would give up anything for you two."

Haley kissed him again, resting her hand over his. "You're such an amazing husband, Nathan. I'm so grateful for you and for your patience with me the past month."

Nathan smiled at her, "I love you." He reminded her for the millionth time that day, winking at her. "Now go to sleep, gorgeous. We can talk more in the morning."


	38. Chapter 38

**Finding The Way Back**

 **Chapter 38**

Nathan jogged up to the house after his morning run, raising his eyebrows at the guy that was sitting outside of their house, a guitar case sitting next to him. "Hey?" He questioned, pulling his headphones out of his ears.

"Dude, are you running for fun?" The guy asked him, standing up and picking up the guitar case.

Nathan looked at him, nodding slowly. "Dude, are you sitting outside of my house for fun?" He questioned, scowling slightly.

"I'm waiting for Haley to come out." He said, shrugging. "I'm the guy she was on a date with when she bought you."

Nathan sighed softly, nodding. "Tough break." He said, looking at him. "Who are you?"

"Chris Keller." Chris said, smirking slightly. "Haley never mentioned me?"

"Name sounds familiar." Nathan said, shrugging slightly. "Well... I'm going to go in now. So good luck out here." He said, walking past him.

"Wait, wait. Can I come in? I've been sitting out here for awhile and I'm starving." Chris said, looking at him.

Nathan sighed softly, opening the front door. "Fine." He grumbled, stepping into the house. "But stay in the kitchen. Don't walk around and explore." He said, leading Chris into the kitchen. "Haley?" He called out.

"Upstairs!" Haley replied from their bedroom, letting out a deep breath.

"I knew she was home." Chris said, shaking his head and walking to the fridge, searching through it.

"Right, okay. Well... Stay." Nathan said slowly, hurrying up the stairs and into their room. "Chris Keller is here?" He said in a questioning voice, raising his eyebrows.

"Tell me you didn't let him in." Haley groaned, shaking her head.

"I could tell you that but it wouldn't be true." He said, shrugging slightly. "What's wrong with that guy... Does he just act like that all the time?"

"Unfortunately." She sighed, running her fingers through her hair.

"You knew he was out there?" He asked, looking at her.

"Yeah. He knocked about a half hour ago. I saw him through the window." She sighed, shaking her head.

"Why didn't you open the door?" He questioned, sitting down next to her.

"Because I spent enough time with Chris this month." She grumbled, looking at him.

"Well, your stupid husband let him in." He chuckled, kissing her head softly. "I have to shower, then I'm going to go see Luke before he leaves with Karen and Andy, so you have fun."

"Really?" She sighed, looking at him. "Because I was thinking that maybe we could have sex." She suggested, leaning over and kissing his jaw softly.

Nathan looked at her, laughing quietly. "Tempting, really. I told him to stay in the kitchen and I'm not sure he'll listen to me, so it's better that one of us stays down there."

"I was pretty sure that would work. I need to say goodbye to Lucas too." She said, standing up and letting out a small sigh.

He stood up as well, kissing her forehead. "But if he hits on you, my fist will hit on him- that sounded a lot cooler in my head. I'll beat him up." He said, laughing quietly.

Haley smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him down into a kiss. "Alright." She said, sighing softly. "I'll go talk to him." She kissed him once more, before walking out of the room and down the stairs.

"Haley!" Chris said, walking over to her and hugging her quickly. "Mm, you smell nice. And you look hot."

Haley sighed softly, stepping away from him. "Thank you." She said, nodding at him. "So... What are you doing here? How did you find my house?"

"What? I can't stop by the love of my life's house?" Chris asked, hugging her again. "Oh how I missed you, Haley."

"I saw you like two weeks ago." She said, shaking her head. "Really, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to eat a sandwich." Chris said, holding up the bread. "Your husband told me I could."

She sighed, sitting down at the counter. "Nice." She said, glancing up the stairs.

"If you were here, why didn't you come to the door?" He asked her curiously.

"Oh, you know..." She trailed off, looking at him. "How's the record coming along?"

"You moved out of your apartment." Chris said to her, frowning. "And you didn't even tell me."

"Sorry, I didn't realize I had to run all my decisions past you." She said, blinking at him.

"But I live in California." He pointed out.

"I know." She laughed, raising her eyebrows. "And I live here now."

He sighed softly, "I did have sex with the girl that moved into your apartment though." He informed her, nodding.

"Good for you?" She said, sighing softly. "Sorry for not telling you that I was moving out. I guess I just assumed that it didn't matter. Or that you figured it would happen because my husband lives here."

"I hate that you're married. I thought that we would end up together, Haley." Chris said, winking at her. "We talked about growing old together."

Haley laughed, rolling her eyes. "No, we didn't. We never ever said anything about that."

"Who did I talk about that with then?" He asked, raising his eyebrows. "You sure it wasn't us?"

"I'm positive." She said, shaking her head. "So why are you here?"

"I need your help, Hales." He said, looking at her, reaching across the counter and grabbing her hand.

Haley looked at him, raising her eyebrows. "What?" She asked him cautiously.

"I want you to come on tour with me." Chris said, nodding at her.

"Chris..." She began, sighing softly.

"No, no. Hear me out. Before you say no, just listen." He said, looking at her and shrugging. "You're hot. And I'm hot. We have great on stage chemistry, Haley. And we have a lot of fun together."

"Chris, I can't." She said, shaking her head.

"Haley, come on. I know you're married but why should your husband get to go off and play basketball while you stay home? Come on tour with me, please. I promise, I won't fuel any rumors of us dating, or anything like that." He begged, nodding at her.

"Chris, I actually can't." She said to him, letting out a small sigh.

"Look, Hales... If this is because all the sexual tension that we have, it's okay. Nathan doesn't need to know." Chris said, winking at her.

She raised her eyebrows, rolling her eyes. "We don't have sexual tension, and it's not that."

Chris looked up as Nathan stepped down the stairs, letting go of Haley's hand. "Hales, come on."

Nathan raised his eyebrows, moving to stand behind Haley, resting his hand on the back of her chair. "What are you guys talking about?"

"He wants me to go on tour with him." She said, looking over her shoulder.

"We would leave in two months, and we'd only been gone for three months." Chris said, nodding at her.

"Which is not going to work out at all." She said, shaking her head.

"Well, why not then?" Chris asked, scowling at her.

Haley over at Nathan again, who shrugged slightly. She looked back at Chris, sighing softly. "I just can't, Chris."

"Blink once if he's forcing you to say that." Chris said, eyeing her.

Nathan scowled, rolling his eyes. "Dude, I will kick you out of my house."

"He's not forcing me to say that." Haley said, glancing up at Nathan again and sighing. "Look, I'll play a couple of shows with you, but I really can't go on tour."

Chris let out a loud sigh, shaking his head. "But, Haley... People love us. We're a dynamic duo."

"For the love of god, Chris... I can't!" She said, letting out an annoyed sigh. "Honestly."

"But I need a solid reason or else I won't stop asking." Chris said, nodding at her. "I want you to go on tour with me. You love touring. You had so much fun."

"Because I'm pregnant, Chris! Is that a good enough answer?" She snapped to him, leaning her head back against Nathan.

Chris was quiet for a second, looking back and forth between the two of them. "Dude, totally not mine, I swear." He said, holding up his hands in defense.

Nathan glared at him, rubbing Haley's shoulder softly. "I've known you for like ten minutes, man... And I already want to punch you in the face."

"Peyton didn't mention this to me when I harassed her for you address." Chris said, frowning. "Now that you mention it, it does make sense." He said, his eyes looking over Haley.

Haley's jaw dropped a little bit, and a scowl formed on her face. "You're a jerk." She said, crossing her arms. "And Peyton is going through some stuff right now. Plus, none of this is any of your business. I only told you that so you would leave me alone."

"Peyton doesn't know. You told good old Uncle Chris Keller before you told crabby Aunt Peyton!" Chris said, smirking slightly. "Can I name the baby?"

Haley looked up at Nathan, pulling a face and letting out a deep sigh. "This is why we shouldn't tell people, and we should just move somewhere far away."

"I've been telling you that, Hales." Nathan hummed, kissing her head. "Chris, Haley and I were just leaving."

"And we'd really appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about this yet. We'd like to wait a little longer before the word gets around." She added, standing up slowly. "I'll be right back, I'm going to go get my purse."

Nathan watched her walk up the stairs, turning and looking at Chris. "So... You just act like this?"

"Act like what?" Chris asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Nice." Nathan said, shaking his head and taking Haley's seat.

"You want to see my guitar?" Chris asked, unbuckling the case.

"No, no. That's alright." Nathan said, waving his hand.

"She's beautiful." Chris hummed, pulling the guitar out. "Haley James."

"What?" Nathan asked, raising his eyebrows.

"That's what I call her. My guitar." Chris said, smirking slightly.

"Are you kidding me?" Nathan grumbled, standing up.

"Hey, man. You don't have claim over her name. Haley was mine first." Chris pointed out.

Nathan let out a deep breath, "Okay, time for you to go. Keep your mouth shut, Keller." He said, grabbing the guitar from his hands, putting it in the case and handing it to him.

"Hey, congrats on the baby." Chris said, taking the guitar. "Tell Haley to call me, or else I'll call her first. Oh, and tell her she looks hot. From me." He smirked, nodding.

Nathan grabbed Chris' shirt collar, yanking him towards the door, opening it and pushing him outside. "Bye." He grumbled, shutting the door behind him and leaning against it.

Haley came back downstairs, raising her eyebrows. "Kicked him out?"

Nathan nodded in response, sighing softly. "I think I'm ready to go up there and have sex now."

"Come on, buddy. Let's go see Luke." She laughed, walking over to him and wrapping her arm around his waist and pulling him towards the garage.

"Lucas?" Nathan called out, walking into the house through Lucas' room, stopping in his tracks when he saw Peyton sitting on his bed.

Haley ran into his back, raising her eyebrows. "Nathan, what are you doing?" She began, looking past him. "Oh. Hey Peyton."

"Hey guys." Peyton said, letting out a deep breath.

"So you sent Chris to our house." Haley said, shaking her head. "That's messed up."

"Sorry, I just... Didn't wan to deal with him. I figured the best move was to give him what he wanted." Peyton said, sending a small smile in her direction. "Are you going to go on tour with him?"

"No. But we can talk about it later." Haley said, waving her hand and sliding past Nathan.

Lucas walked into the room, raising his eyebrows. "Uh, hey guys."

"Hey Luke, we just came to say goodbye..." Nathan trailed off, clearing his throat.

Lucas nodded slowly, "Thanks. I should be off in about an hour." He said, glancing over at Peyton.

"I just stopped by to say good bye too." Peyton said, standing up.

Haley nodded, walking over to Lucas and hugging him tightly. "I'm going to miss you, buddy. Please don't be gone long."

"I won't be." Lucas assured her, kissing the top of her head. "I love you, Hales."

"I love you too." She hummed, smiling at him.

Nathan walked over slowly, giving Lucas a brief hug. "Hey, take care man."

"You too, little brother." Lucas responded, ruffling Nathan's hair.

"Look at my boys." Haley said, covering her mouth and letting out a deep breath.

"Pregnancy hormones are striking already." Lucas joked, before freezing. "Shit. Sorry."

Peyton looked up at Haley quickly, "What? You're pregnant?" She asked.

"Thanks, Lucas." Haley said, punching his arm softly, looking at Peyton. "This is not the way I wanted you to find out."

"Haley! That's so exciting!" Peyton said, hurrying over and hugging her tightly.

"I did some work too." Nathan said, holding up his hand.

Peyton looked over at Nathan, "You'll get credit when you carry a baby inside of you for nine months." She teased, winking at him before walking over and hugging him. "I'm happy for you guys." She said softly.

"You two are so grown up now." Lucas said, smiling at them. "I know I already told you how happy I am for you last night, but... I am. Happy for you."

"Thanks guys." Haley said, smiling at him. "Now, please do a better job at keeping it quiet than Lucas just did. We haven't told that many people yet."

"Got it." Peyton said, hugging her again. "This is so great! I guess that explains why there will be no tour."

Haley nodded, looking at Nathan and kissing his cheek lightly.

"I better get going." Peyton said softly, nodding at Lucas. "I'll see you when you get home, Lucas." She said, hugging him briefly, and walking out.

Nathan turned to Lucas, raising his eyebrows. "What was that about?"

"She just came to say goodbye." Lucas informed him, letting out a deep breath, picking some clothes out of his dresser.

"Oh yeah? You say her name at your wedding and she just comes to say goodbye?" Nathan asked, sitting down on the bed.

"Too soon." Lucas grumbled, shoving the clothes into his duffle bag.

Haley rested her hand on Nathan's shoulder, smiling slightly. "You think this is the right thing to do, Luke?"

"Yeah, I need to get away from it all and clear my head." Lucas said softly, nodding at her.

"I get that." She said, looking down at Nathan for a second. "But sometimes running away isn't the best thing to do."

Lucas looked over at Nathan, before looking back at Haley. "I think I just need to spend time with my mom and Lily."

"Alright." Haley hummed, walking over and hugging him again. "How long will you be gone?"

"Probably not too long." Lucas assured her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"Good." She said softly, squeezing his side. "Just remember that we're here for you and we love you."

"Of course." Lucas said, kissing the top of her head. "Take care of that kid." He said, smiling at her. "Oh, and the baby too."

"Funny. I'm glad you're leaving." Nathan said, shaking his head and standing up, laughing.

"If you guys need me, I'll come back. Might be hard because I'll be on a boat... But I'll find a way back." Lucas chuckled, nodding at them.

"Where is everyone, anyways?" Haley asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"They're getting everything ready. My mom will be back in a little bit." Lucas informed her. "It would be great if you guys stayed until she got here."

Nathan nodded his head, "Sure." He said, picking up a basketball that was sitting on Lucas' floor, spinning it in his hands.

The two of them stayed there for awhile longer, before heading home. They were laying in bed later that night, both of them nearly asleep when Haley lifted her head up off of Nathan's chest, looking down at him.

"Hey." She said softly, resting her hand on his cheek, kissing his chin softly.

"Hm?" Nathan mumbled, tightening his arm around her.

"I'm going to miss this. When the season starts again and you're spending most of your time in New York." She said softly, brushing her thumb over his cheekbone.

Nathan blinked his eyes open, clearing his throat and looking down at her. "I think we should talk." He mumbled, reaching over to the bedside table and turning on the lamp.

She sat up slowly, raising her eyebrows. "What?" She asked him, frowning.

He sat up, running his fingers through his hair, standing up. "What if I didn't go to New York?"

"What do you mean?" She asked him slowly, rubbing her eyes.

Nathan let out a deep breath, disappearing into the closet. He emerged a minute later, dropping something in her lap.

Haley lifted it up, raising her eyebrows. "Is this real?" She asked him, standing up.

"Yeah. I know I should've talked to you about it first... But I wanted to surprise you. This is what Clay and I have been talking about." He said, smiling. "I transferred teams. I'm a Point Guard for the Hornets now." He said, looking at her.

She smiled brightly, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly. "Nathan! This is amazing." She said, kissing him deeply.

"I know I'll still be away from home a lot, but this way I'll be closer. Which will be so much better, especially with a baby on the way." He said, wrapping his arms around her waist tightly.

"I'm so excited for you." Haley said, kissing him again, slapping her hands on his shoulders lightly. "My husband is such a sexy basketball star." She said, smiling at him. "I love you so much, Nathan."

"I love you too, Haley. Thank you for coming home to me." He whispered, kissing her head.

Haley pushed him down onto the bed, winking at him and smiling. "And we thought we were just going to go to sleep tonight."


	39. Chapter 39

**I'm so sorry that it's taken me so long to update this story. I've been super busy, and I've also been struggling when it comes to this story so unfortunately, it's taking me awhile. I'm sorry!**

 **Chapter 39**

Haley walked into Tric, raising her eyebrows and glancing down at the cryptic text she'd received from Peyton. She'd asked her to meet a Tric, and that's all she's said.

Peyton waved her over to the bar, smiling. "Haley! Hey." She said, nodding at her.

"Hey." Haley said slowly, blinking at her. "It's a little early to start drinking, don't you think? If you called me here to be your designated driver... I'm going to leave." She laughed, nodding.

"No, no. Nothing like that. I was just talking to Owen while I waited." Peyton hummed, nodding at her.

Haley looked over at Owen, nodding. "Hi Owen." She said, smiling at him.

"Hey. Nate's girl, right?" Owen asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I actually haven't heard that one since high school, but yes." Haley laughed, shrugging slightly.

"Nice to meet you." He said, nodding at her.

"You too." She replied, looking over at Peyton.

Peyton smiled at her, "Okay. Come with me." She hummed, waving at Owen and grabbing Haley's arm, tugging her away.

Haley looked at her, "Where are we going?" She asked her, blinking.

"Well... You remember how I've been looking for a place to build and addition to Red Bedroom in Tree Hill?" Peyton began, looking at her.

"Yeah..." Haley trailed off, raising her eyebrows.

"Well, I was talking to Lucas before he left, and I've been talking to him a little bit while he's been gone for the past month, as well as Karen. And we decided that this would be a good place to do it." Peyton hummed, pulling open the door and gesturing around the empty room. "It's going to need a lot of work, but it would save the travel."

"Peyton, this is amazing. But... You aren't doing this just for me, are you? Because I really don't mind the plane ride to California." Haley began, looking around and smiling slightly.

"Oh, no. How am I ever going to find more talent if no one on the East Coast can afford to fly to the West Coast?" Peyton pointed out, looking around. "How about a tour? I have big plans."

Haley nodded, letting Peyton guide her around, pointing out what would go where. After a few minutes, they stopped back at the entrance, and she turned to Peyton. "This is going to be super cool, Peyton."

"I know! And I was hoping that you would help me run it?" Peyton suggested, looking over at her.

"Me?" Haley asked, raising her eyebrows. "Why me?"

"Because who knows talent better than talent? I've been sort of going through a dry spell when it comes to new people, and I could really use the help. I still want you to record, of course. But I think your instincts could do us some good." Peyton responded, nodding at her. "What do you say?"

"I say hell yes." Haley said, smiling at her. "That sounds awesome. How long do you think it will take to get everything set up?"

"I'm not exactly sure. But as soon as I know, you'll know." Peyton hummed, looking around.

"We should set up an open mic night! That would be a cool way to find new talent." Haley suggested, shrugging slightly.

"There's that valedictory brain speaking." Peyton agreed, smiling at her. "We could go old school like we did in high school, I design the posters and you spread the word?"

"Sounds good. A lot more people know me now so maybe we'll get a bigger group." Haley laughed, looking around. "This is going to be great. But maybe I should talk to Nathan about it first, before I start this. I know he'll be fine with it, but I feel like maybe it's a decision we should make together."

"Yeah, whatever you need." Peyton said, smiling at her. "How're you two doing?"

"We're getting there. Things are good." Haley hummed softly, smiling. "You saw the worst of it because you were in California with me, but yeah. Things are getting better."

"I'm glad to hear it." Peyton said, smiling at her.

"I'm glad to say it. And to feel it." Haley replied, letting out a deep breath. "Honestly, it feels nice to be around him. We have a mutual respect for each other that is quite nice."

"I figured you would work it out, you know." Peyton hummed, shrugging slightly. "Plus, it's nice not to see your picture online with a crack down the middle of it."

"I agree. People can be so ridiculous." Haley laughed, shaking her head.

"I know, I know. Well, let me know what you and hubs decide on." Peyton said, nodding at her. "I'm really glad that you guys are okay."

"Thanks, Peyton. I'll see you later, alright? I'll probably get back to you by tomorrow." Haley hummed, hugging her tightly. "I actually have to go meet him right now."

"Alright, Haley. Get working on that Open Mic night. I need money since you've been taking awhile on your album, and Chris is barely selling anything. My top two clients aren't helping me at all." Peyton laughed, sticking her tongue out.

"Haha, very funny. I'll see you later, okay?" Haley said, waving at her and exiting Tric.

xxxx

Nathan stood on the familiar black top, spinning the ball in his hand on the free throw line. He stared up at the basketball, letting out a deep breath and dribbling it twice, before raising his hands up and shooting it, watching it sail through the next. He was waiting for Haley to come pick him up after he'd ran there do that they could go to lunch. He ran over and retrieved his ball, dribbling the ball through his legs, dogging a specific spot on the court as though there was a defender there, jumping up and hanging from the rim for a second, before dropping to the ground, letting out a groan at the sight of the man in front of him.

"Dammit, Dan." Nathan grumbled, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. "Why do you always show up?"

Dan picked up the basketball, tossing it back and forth between his hands. "What, you mean in my home town? The nerve." He responded, looking at his son.

Nathan sighed, turning away from him. "Just go before Haley gets here."

"Who, your wife?" Dan asked, raising his eyebrows.

"That would be the one." Nathan responded, shaking his head.

"How about a game of one on one?" Dan suggested.

Nathan turned around and looked at him, "I'm better than you, Dan." He snapped, shaking his head.

"Why don't you prove it?" Dan responded, smirking at him.

"I don't need to prove anything to you." Nathan said simply, holding out his hand for the basketball.

Dan looked at him, before tossing it up into the hoop. "Fine, then I guess I don't believe you." He said, shrugging and retrieving the ball.

Nathan shook his head, letting out a deep breath. "You can't get inside my head."

"I'm not trying to get inside your head, Nathan. I'm simply speaking my mind." Dan said, shooting the ball up again.

Nathan went and retrieved the ball this time, rolling his eyes. He walked over to half court, shaking his head. "My ball." He grumbled, pass it to Dan.

Dan smirked slightly, passing it back to him, watching his son.

Nathan sat at about half court for a little bit, dribbling the ball back and forth, before charging past Dan to the left, which Dan quickly caught onto and blocked him from going any further.

"Come on, Nathan." Dan said, nodding at him.

"Shut up." Nathan grumbled to him, letting out a deep breath. He took a small step forward, before stepping back and shooting for a 3-pointer, watching it hit the rim and bounce away, rolling off the blacktop.

"I guess I am inside your head, at least a little bit." Dan said to him, going to get the ball and heading back to half court. "My turn."

Nathan sighed softly, shaking his head and passing the ball back to Dan after he'd passed it to him.

"Come on, son. I'm not even dressed to play basketball." Dan said, nodding at Nathan, before faking like he was going to go right, pushing past Nathan on the left, going up to the hoop and making a layup.

This continue for a little while, until the score was 6-8, Dan in the lead.

Nathan was breathing heavy, not because he was tired, because he was getting frustrated. He glared at Dan, shaking his head. "I'm better than you, Dan. I know that I am. I'm a better man than you, and a better basketball player than you."

Dan looked at Nathan, shrugging slightly. "How come I'm in the lead then?" He asked him.

Nathan looked at Dan for a second, letting out a frustrated groan, before throwing the ball at his father as hard as he could. Dan jumped out of the way, of course. But he looked up when the ball hit the side of the car that had just pulled up, his confused looking wife in the drivers seat.

Dan looked over as well, raising his eyebrows. "Did you want to call it game, Nathan?" He questioned him, smirking slightly.

"Don't talk anymore." Nathan said, walking over to Haley's car and letting out a deep breath, leaning against her rolled down window. "Hey." He said softly, shaking his head. "Sorry about that."

"Everything okay?" Haley asked him softly, resting her hand on his cheek and looking past him.

"Yeah. But I can't do lunch today." He said, shaking his head.

"Why are you doing this, Nathan?" She questioned him, looking up at him again.

"I need to show him that I'm better than him." He said, letting out a deep breath.

"You are." She said to him, nodding at him. "Much better than him."

Dan walked up behind Nathan, resting his hand on his shoulder. "Hi Haley." He said, nodding at her.

"Dan." Haley responded, shaking her head and looking out the windshield.

"You might want to get out of here. I wouldn't want the image of Nathan to be ruined in your head when he gets beat by me." Dan said, smirking slightly. "Or maybe you'd like to come help him."

Nathan shoved his hand off his shoulder, shaking his head an rolling his eyes. "Dan..."

"I think Nathan can handle his own, Dan." Haley cut in, sighing softly. "You're looking a little tired. Prison must have taken a toll on you."

Nathan smiled slightly, looking at her, before looking over at Dan. "Come on, Dan." He grumbled, picking up the ball and shoving it into his chest. "I believe it's your ball."

Dan nodded at him, "Well, Haley. Are you staying?" He asked, looking at her.

Haley looked over at Nathan, letting out a deep breath. "Yeah, I guess so." She said, getting out of the car. "Is that okay?"

"Yeah, of course." Nathan said, nodding at her and looking at Dan. "Come on, old man. I'm done messing around. You want me to prove that I'm better than you, then I'll prove it."

Awhile later, Nathan landed on the ground, looking over his shoulder at Dan. "Well, I guess that's game." He said, smirking slightly.

"Nice job, son." Dan responded, looking up at the hoop. "Your form was a little off in a couple of those shots, but not bad."

"Don't call me son. Don't correct my form, or anything. And while we're on a list of don'ts— I believe I already told you some. Don't talk to me, don't talk to Haley, or Lucas, or my mom, or anyone I care about." Nathan said, nodding at him. "Got it?"

Dan let out a deep breath, looking at him, "Nathan..."

"Come on, Haley. Let's go." Nathan said, shaking his head and grabbing the basketball. He looked over at his wife, nodding slowly. He headed to the car, looking over at Dan again. "I'm done, Dan. Done playing games." He said, getting in the drivers side, shaking his head.

Haley looked at Dan, letting out a deep breath, giving him a small nod and getting in the car, handing Nathan the keys. She looked past her husband at his father, standing alone on the Rivercourt, and for a second, she felt bad for him. She felt bad that he'd never get the chance to meet his grandchild, or watch their family grow. Or that their grandchild would never know him. Her eyes moved over to Nathan, and that feeling of sorrow for Dan went away, and she was filled with sorrow for him. That was his father. The man that had bullied him and pushed him around for all his life. His father had murdered own brother, and it would haunt him for the rest of his life. She reached over and grabbed his hand, giving it a soft squeeze.

Nathan looked at Dan, who was watching them. He shook his head, pulling away from the blacktop and driving away, glancing over his shoulder.

The ride home was fairly silent, and when they pulled into the garage, Nathan kissed her knuckles softly, turning to look at her. "I have an idea."

"Oh?" Haley asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah. Picnic." He said, nodding at her. "Since we missed our lunch reservations."

She smiled at him, leaning over and kissing him softly. "That sounds great."

"Okay, I'm going to shower first, though." He said, sighing softly.

"Alright. I'll make some sandwiches and stuff, yeah?" She suggested, nodding at him.

"Sounds perfect." He replied, getting out of the car, walking over to the passenger side, pulling open the door.

Haley got out slowly, pinching his chin softly. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He said, kissing her briefly, grabbing her hand and heading inside.

xxx

"Nathan, why are we at the high school?" Haley asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"Because this is where our picnic is going to be." He responded, shrugging.

"The gate to the football field is going to be locked." She informed him, looking around. "We're going to get caught."

"It's summer, Hales. No one will be here." He laughed, shaking his head. "And, we're going to climb over the gate."

"Dude, I'm pregnant." Haley reminded him, shaking her head.

"Dude, I know." He replied, kissing her head. "I'm just kidding. I have my ways of getting keys, Haley James. Don't worry."

"Nathan, please don't get us in trouble." She said, sighing softly.

"I won't, babe." He laughed, unlocking the door to the football field, holding it open for her.

"It's been forever since I've been here." Haley said, looking around. "Or at least it feels like forever."

"You remember when we came out here in high school?" Nathan asked her, smiling slightly.

"Yeah, and the sprinklers came on." She replied, nodding and letting out a deep breath.

"After Jimmy Edwards and Keith died." He said, laying out a blanket on the grass.

Haley nodded in response, sitting down on the blanket and looking up at him.

He sat next to her, grabbing her hand and letting out a deep breath. "I still thank God every day that you're here with me, Haley."

She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Me too, Nathan."

"We have a lot of memories in this place. Not necessarily the football field, but in general." He said, smiling at her. "This is sort of the place we started, you know. Love at first sight... More or less."

"Oh shut up. I hated you." She laughed, shaking her head.

"I know." He responded, kissing her forehead. "I told you that you were my tutor. And you shut me down so quick."

"Okay, you were a jerk." Haley replied, rolling her eyes.

"I know." He laughed, nodding at her. "I was."

"I'm glad you're not a jerk anymore." She said, brushing her fingers over his jaw.

"For the most part." He chuckled, smiling down at her.

She kissed his cheek, letting out a deep breath. "So, food?"

"Food." He hummed, opening the basket and handing it to her.

A short while later, they were laying back against the blanket, Haley's head rested on Nathan's chest.

"I love you, Nathan." Haley spoke up, tilting her head up and kissing his chin softly.

"I love you too, baby." Nathan replied, staring up at the sky and letting out a deep breath. "Dan probably won't leave us alone, you know."

"I know." She responded, gripping his shirt softly. "What are we going to do about him?"

"Maybe one day he'll take the hint. But I don't want him to be around our kids." He said, shaking his head and sighing softly.

"If you did want him around... We could deal with that." She said, glancing up at him.

"I don't. At all." He said quickly, shaking her head. "He gets in my head, and I hate it."

"I know. But you are better than him, Nathan. You're a great man." She assured him, nodding.

"I try to be." He said softly, glancing down at her.

"You are." She said, brushing her fingers through his hair.

Nathan smiled slightly, kissing the top of her head and hugging her closer to him. "I forgot to ask what you and Peyton did this morning."

"Oh yeah." She said, sitting up and looking down at him. "We went to Tric."

"And what did you do?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"She showed me where the new Redbedroom Records is going to be." She hummed, nodding at him. "And it's going to be amazing."

"That's awesome, Hales." He said, sitting up and looking over at her.

"Yeah, and it's going to be nice to stay at home." She said, nodding at him. "Plus, she asked me if I would help her run it."

Nathan smiled at her, "What did you say?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I told her that I would do it but I wanted to talk to you about it first. It could make me more busy, you know?" She said, shrugging slightly.

"No, Hales. I can tell just by looking at you that you want to do it, so I want you to do it. Besides, my job keeps me away for most of the year." He said, nodding at her. "You want this."

"I think it will be really cool to discover new talent, you know? There's so many talented people out there waiting to be discovered." Haley said, nodding at him and smiling.

Nathan leaned over and kissed her briefly. "I'm so excited for you." He said, winking at her.

"Thank you." She responded, nodding at him and letting out a deep breath.

He looked at her for a second, smiling slightly. "I know that we've gone through some stuff, Hales... And we're not totally back to what we used to be. But we'll get there. I'm so thankful that you've been willing to stick by me the past little while."

"You're my always and forever, Nathan." She said softly, nodding at him. "I don't want to be with anyone else, ever."

He nodded at her, resting his forehead against hers. "I love you so much." He whispered.

"I love you too." She replied, resting her hand on his cheek, pulling him into a kiss.

Nathan smiled slightly, falling back onto the blanket and pulling her down with him, holding her close to him.

They kissed for some time, before someone behind them cleared their throat, causing them to move apart quickly.

"Principal Turner." Haley said, looking up at their former principal, breathing heavily.

Principal Turner looked down at them, shaking his head. "Nathan, Haley. You know that this is trespassing, right?"

"Yes sir." Nathan said, letting out a deep breath and standing up slowly.

"We're so sorry." Haley said, her cheeks bright red. She stood up as well, glaring over at Nathan.

"How did you two even get in here?" He questioned them, crossing his arms.

Nathan looked over at Haley, shrugging slightly.

"The door was unlocked." Haley said, nodding at him. "We're so sorry."

"The door was unlocked?" Principal Turner said slowly, raising his eyebrows.

"What are you doing here?" Nathan asked, crossing his arms.

"I work here, Mr. Scott. And I'm not the one here illegally, you are." Principal Turner reminded him. "You two haven't attended this school is years."

"Nostalgia." Nathan said, shrugging slightly.

"You're still up to no good, isn't that right, Nathan?" Principal Turner said, raising his eyebrows.

"I probably always will be." Nathan said, smirking slightly.

"Don't let this happen again. I don't know how you got in here, but I'll let it slide this one time. Try not to drag Ms. James down with you." Principal Turner said, shaking his head. "My mistake, try not to drag Mrs. Scott down with you. Congratulations, by the way."

Haley looked at him, smiling slightly and nodding her head. "Thank you, Principal Turner."

"I'm going to come back and check in five minutes, and you two better be gone." Principal Turner said, turning and walking away.

Haley looked at Nathan, punching him in the arm. "You told me we wouldn't get caught!"

"I didn't know he was going to show up." Nathan laughed, shaking his head. He gathered up their stuff, looking at her. "Come on, Hales, don't be mad."

"You're making me a delinquent. You're dragging me down with you, like he said." She said, shaking her head and crossing her arms.

"I'm sorry, babe." He said, smiling at her.

"That was so embarrassing, Nathan!" She grumbled, resting her forehead on his shoulder.

"Oh come on, Hales. It's kind of funny." He laughed, kissing her head and wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

Haley let out a deep breath, looking at him. "Let's just go home."


	40. Chapter 40

**Finding The Way Back**

 **I appreciate everyone that has continued to read this story. It's been awhile, but I felt pretty inspired while writing this chapter. I think it's kind of cute.**

 **Chapter 40**

"So, Nathan... How does it feel?" The interviewer asked, raising his eyebrows. "This is your first time being player of the game with the Hornets, and it's quite impressive. 41 points, 12 assists, 7 rebounds. A double-double, and very close to a trouble-double. Not to mention, we're at Madison Square Garden, and you used to play for the Knicks."

Nathan laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "I suppose I felt the need to show off a little, but I mostly owe it to my team. We've worked hard to get into the groove we have going on." He said, adjusting the microphone in front of him, leaning against the table.

"This is the first time we've interviewed you after a game in awhile. And you're wearing a different jersey? How does it feel? Was there any bad blood out there tonight?"

"Not at all. I was talking to some of the guys on the Knicks after the game, and they're all really supportive still. They all congratulated me on the W, and told me to keep doing what I'm doing." Nathan said, nodding and tugging on the collar of his shirt. "It feels great, though. When I was a kid, I used to go to games for the Hornets when they were the Bobcats. This is the team that I grew up watching, so it's a cool experience."

"Well you are 7-2 right now, so if you can continue winning, you'll make some fans very happy." He said, nodding.

"That's the idea." Nathan responded, smiling slightly.

"Since this is the first time you've been interviewed in awhile, I have to ask. How was your break?"

Nathan chuckled, looking down at pulling the microphone closer to him a bit. "It was great." He said, shrugging slightly.

"Come on." The interviewer groaned. "I hate to pry, but give us a little more. One day you're being accused of some rumors, the next you're spotted in London with Haley James, then in various places all over the world, only to announce that you got married."

He laughed, shaking his head. "It was sort of like we both felt we had waited long enough to be together, so why wait through an engagement and plan a whole big wedding when the outcome was the same? When you know, you know."

"But now... It seems as though Haley James, or Haley Scott, I should say... Has dropped off the grid."

"Well, I sure hope not. Otherwise when I get home tonight, I'll be pretty unhappy." Nathan said, smirking slightly.

"She helped Chris Keller kick off his tour, and she hasn't been heard from again. No posts on social media, nothing. You don't post about her either. Can you tell us anything about what she's up to right now?"

Nathan thought back to his wife for a second, chuckling quietly. Right now, she'd probably either be sleeping, or watching this while eating something she knew she shouldn't be but she didn't give a damn because it was their baby that wanted it, not her. He cleared his throat, "She's keeping busy. Writing music, recording music when she feels like a song is ready."

"Can we expect a tour out of her?"

"Um... Probably not for a little while." He said, sighing softly. "Not this year, at least. We're busy people."

"I figure while you're in the season, this would be the perfect time for her to tour."

"She has some things in the works, don't worry about it." Nathan said, nodding. "If you'd like picture proof that she's doing well, I'll post a picture with her as soon as I get home." He said, chuckling quietly.

"You might just need to do that. For her fans' sake." The interviewer responded, nodding at him. "Thank you for the time, Nathan. Keep pushing on. We can't wait to see where this new team takes you."

"Thanks man, I appreciate it." Nathan said, nodding and standing up. He walked back to the locker room, letting out a deep breath and pulling out his phone. He quickly pressed his thumb down on Haley's number, holding the phone to his ear.

"Hey you." Haley said into the phone, smiling slightly.

"Hey baby. How's the ice cream?" He asked her, a smirk on his face.

"I hate you, Nathan Scott." She responded, letting out a deep breath. "It's good. When are you coming home?"

"What, you miss me already?" He chuckled, sitting down on the bench in the locker room. It was weird being in the away team locker room of the stadium he had become so acquainted with.

"Barely. Our house is too big and it can get kind of spooky without you here." She responded, shaking her head.

"I'll be there as soon as I can." He said, nodding at one of his team mates.

"You sound tired. Maybe you should just crash at your house in New York."

"I want to be home, Hales. Trust me. I miss you." He said, rolling his eyes when his team mates started making kissing noises and whistling.

"We can wait one more day." She said, sighing softly.

"No thanks." He responded, smiling.

"Alright, alright. Come home to me soon." Haley said, smiling.

"Yes, dear." He chuckled, "I'll be home soon. I love you."

"Love you too, babe. If I'm asleep, wake me up. See you in a little while." She said, letting out a deep breath.

He smiled slightly, hanging up the phone and looking up when Clay walked into the room, resting his hands on his shoulders.

"You did awesome, Nate." Clay said, smirking slightly. "I swear, Quinn thought about leaving me for a split second. But then she looked at me and decided against it."

Nathan laughed, rolling his eyes. "Shut up." He said, standing up slowly.

"Three out of four James sisters. Not bad." Clay said, smirking at him.

"Hey, don't let my wife ever hear you say that." Nathan said, acting as though he was going to punch Clay in the stomach, stopping his fist before it made contact.

"Trust me, I won't. She scares me. She likes to slap, but she's also violent with her words." Clay assured him, shaking his head. "Get changed, man. Let's party like we used to. I miss New York. Plus, now I have the two hottest dates on my arms. Quinn, and you. Mostly Quinn, but people seem to like you too."

"I don't know, Clay. I have to get home. It's been a week." He said, shrugging slightly. "My flight leaves in two hours."

"You're such a family guy now, hm?"

Nathan rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "I guess so." He said simply, running his fingers through his hair.

"Alright, alright. I'll respect that. I'm going to stay here for the night. I'll meet you in Charlotte in two days. But- I am looking for a house in Tree Hill, so maybe you could do me a favor and swing by one of them? I'll text you the address." He said, nodding at him.

"Sure." Nathan replied, letting out a deep breath.

"Alright, see you later man. You did great tonight, I love you." Clay said, smirking at him and heading out.

Nathan shook his head, rolling his eyes, leaning over to untie his shoes.

xxxx

Nathan finally arrived at home close to one in the morning, rubbing his neck and letting out a deep breath. It felt good to be home. He walked into the kitchen, pulling open the fridge, searching through it quietly.

He jumped when he heard his wife clear her throat, whipping around quickly. "Hey." He said, smiling at her.

"First thing you do when you get home is come to the fridge?" Haley asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"I didn't want to wake you up just yet." He said simply. "Plus, I'm starving."

"Well, what are you waiting for? Get over here and kiss me." She hummed, gesturing him over to her.

Nathan smiled slightly, closing the fridge and hurrying over to her. "You don't need to tell me twice." He said, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her into a deep kiss.

Haley smiled against his lips, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him back, her eyes fluttering shut.

He pulled her closer to him, gripping her shirt tightly. He pulled back after a moment, looking down at her. "I missed you so much, Hales."

"I know the feeling." She said, resting her hands on the sides of his face, brushing her thumb over his cheekbones.

"How's everything going?" He asked, resting his hand on her stomach.

"All is well." She said, nodding up at him. "Especially for you, I'm seeing. You were amazing tonight."

"Yeah? I have to say, I'm a little surprised you watched." He joked, kissing her forehead.

"I switched channels when you were out." She hummed, shaking her head. "Just kidding, I haven't missed a game yet. You might be 7-2, but I'm 9-0 because I get to watch you do what you love."

"Mm." He said, leaning over and kissing her neck softly. "And what about you?"

Haley winked at him, pulling on his shirt. "Oh, I have a feeling I'm about to do what I love."

xxxx

Haley tugged the blanket over them, resting her head on his chest, lazily scratching her fingernails in his chest. "Bet you're starving after that." She said, glancing up at him.

Nathan let one arm hang off the edge of the couch, laughing quietly. "I think I'm rubbing off on you too much, Haley James. You're acting full of yourself." He hummed, rubbing his hand over her back. "With good reason." He added, smirking at her.

She rubbed her hand over his cheek, brushing her thumb over the light stubble there. "I missed you."

"You should come to a game, Hales." He responded, kissing the top of her head.

"I know, and I want to... I just don't want to be bombarded." She said softly. "This is something that I want to be ours, Nathan. Plus, I feel like I'm growing every day."

"You look great, Hales. A baggy shirt and no one would be able to tell." He said, looking up at the ceiling.

"I don't know if that's entirely true, Nathan." She said, sighing softly. "I just don't want to be asked a million questions."

"You're going to stay in Tree Hill for five more months?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows. "Away from the public eye?"

"If something happens, Nathan... I don't want to have to explain it." She said softly, lifting her head up and looking at him.

He looked down at her, shaking his head. "Nothing is going to happen, baby." He responded.

"I just want to be cautious. We already have so much of our lives exposed, can't we just hide our baby from it all? For the rest of his or her life?" She groaned, pressing her face into his shoulder.

He nodded, brushing his fingers over her spine. "We'll do what we can." He said softly, "I'll keep taking the questions for five more months. You better keep working on your music and I'll keep using that as an excuse."

"Mm, you're a great husband." She said softly.

"People miss you, though. Your fans miss you." He pointed out, nodding at her.

"Maybe I'll release some songs, just to prove that I still exist." She said, nodding at him.

"Oh yeah, I'm supposed to take a picture with you." He said, smirking at her, reaching around until he found his pants, grabbing his phone out of the pocket.

"Not right now you're not." She said, shaking her head.

"Come on." He laughed, kissing her head. "You can even pretend you're asleep." He said, winking at her.

Haley pulled the blanket up a little higher, cuddling into him. "Whatever. Just take the picture." She said, pulling his head down and kissing his cheek while he took the photo.

"You can barely tell that you're not wearing any clothes. Definitely can't tell that you're pregnant." He said, smiling at her. "You're stunning."

"Stop it." She said, kissing him briefly.

"I love you." Nathan said, smirking at her. "So much."

"I love you too, baby." She responded, running her fingers through his hair.

He smiled at her, leaning his head back against the arm rest, closing his eyes.

Haley kissed along his chest, before lifting her head up. "My man was pretty sexy tonight, not going to lie."

"Thank you." He said, smiling at her. "I hope to keep it going."

"Do you like being on the Hornets?" She questioned him, raising her eyebrows.

"I love it." He said, shrugging. "It's great."

"I'm glad." She said softly, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him briefly. "Well, I had ice cream for dinner. But I'm sure there's something from yesterday still in there. I can warm it up for you, if you want."

"You should go back up to bed, beautiful." Nathan said softly, nodding at her.

"I'm alright." She said, getting up slowly, beginning to get dressed.

"You don't need to get dressed." He said, sitting up slowly.

"Quiet." Haley hummed, gathering his clothes, dropping them in his lap and heading into the kitchen.

They sat at the kitchen counter a short while later, eating some Mac and Cheese, Nathan listening quietly while Haley told him about her week.

"This guy is such a jerk, Nathan! He acts like his band is the best band in the world. He's so full of it, and not in a cute way like you are. They're good, but he won't take into consideration anything Peyton and I say." She grumbled, shaking her head. "I told him he needs to focus more on his music, and he turned to me and said "I'll focus more on my music if you focus less on your food." I could've killed him, Nathan."

Nathan scowled, shaking his head. "What an asshole, Hales. Just fire him." He said, rolling his eyes.

"I don't know if I can, honestly." She said, stabbing her fork into her food. "He's a complete asshole, and doesn't even deserve the help that we're giving him. His piano player, Mia, is incredibly talented. I heard her singing and she's great." She said, rolling her eyes. "I must sound like a broken record, I'm probably repeating everything I told you on the phone."

"You didn't say anything about some dick harassing you." He said, looking over at her.

"I confronted Mia about it, and she sort of blew me off, saying that Jason writes the songs. Who gives a damn about him? She's great. She's his girlfriend though, but he either needs a reality check or he needs to get the hell out." Haley said, shaking her head.

"Want me to talk to him?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"You'll just end up punching him, probably. He's a jerk." She grumbled, shaking her head.

Nathan leaned over, kissing her cheek softly. "I think you look amazing, Hales. And I think you should just fire him. He's an ass, and he needs you to stick it to him. Maybe he'll straighten out, maybe he won't." He said, rubbing her back.

She let out a deep sigh, shaking her head. "We'll see what happens." She grumbled. "Did I tell you I talked to Vivian today?"

He cleared his throat, looking over at her. He still felt a little uneasy inside when her siblings were brought up, despite the fact that he talked to her brothers every couple weeks, she had not spoken to any of her family members but Quinn and her parents.

"No, you didn't." He finally spoke, stretching.

"Yeah." She said, resting her hand on his leg for a second. "She called me like ten times in a row and I just wanted to make sure everything is okay. We talked for almost an hour."

"That's good." Nathan said, smiling at her.

"She apologized to me several times. And asked about the pregnancy, answered some questions that I had." She said softly, smiling slightly. "I don't know, it was nice. I was starting to feel like I had my sister back, you know?"

"I'm glad that you're talking to her." Nathan said, nodding at her.

"She told me to call her if I have any other questions." She said, shrugging.

"I'm glad." He said, leaning over and kissing her head. "I think that... Maybe it's time to start talking to them again, Hales. All of them."

Haley looked at him, shaking her head. "Nathan, they acted like children. It was between you and me, and they made it about them and went all caveman and tried to beat you up. You're my husband!" She said, pointing her fork at him.

"I know, Haley, but I deserved it. A little." He said softly, letting out a deep breath.

"No you didn't." She said, reaching over and grabbing his shoulder. "You didn't deserve to be punched, or kicked. Anything."

"I talk to them, Haley." He pointed out.

"I don't care, Nathan. You're their brother in law, they can't just do whatever they want to you. I don't know why they get all alpha male when you're around but I'm not a baby. I can take care of myself. I don't even know why you-" She stopped, leaning over a bit, setting her fork down onto the counter, resting her hand on her stomach.

Nathan looked at her, raising his eyebrows. "Haley?" He asked her quickly. "What's wrong, baby? Is everything okay?" He stood up quickly, resting his hand on her arm.

Haley looked up at him, grabbing his hand and pulling it down onto her stomach. "The baby is kicking." She said, biting her lip and smiling up at him.

He looked at her, a smile breaking out on his face. "I can feel it! That's our baby." He said quickly.

She pulled him into a kiss, tears welling in her eyes, gripping onto his hand tightly. "I love you so much, Nathan. This is so real."


	41. Chapter 41

**Finding The Way Back**

 **I've really been feeling fluffy Naley lately, and I'm fairly pleased by the way this chapter turned out.**

 **Chapter 41**

Nathan ran into the nearly pitch black house, running into nearly everything in his way. He rushed towards the stairs, tripping up a few of them before he finally dug his phone out of his pocket, turning on the flashlight and shaking his head. His heart was beating so fast, his head spinning. He felt like he was going to throw up. He pushed open the door to his and Haley's room quickly, stopping in his tracks by the edge of the bed, looking down at her sleeping form.

"Haley." He said quickly, shaking her softly. "Haley James." He cleared his throat, kissing her forehead lightly.

"Mm..." Haley hummed, reaching out and grabbing his t-shirt, blinking her eyes open, sitting up slowly. "What are you doing home? I thought you were spending the night in San Antonio."

"Are you okay?" He asked her, disregarding her question. "Brooke left a frantic voicemail on my phone and no one has been answering my calls." He said, letting out a deep breath.

"I'm fine, Nathan." Haley said, rubbing her eyes, turning on the lamp beside the bed.

"What happened, Haley?" He asked her, running his fingers through his hair. "I had like ten missed calls from both Brooke and Peyton, Brooke left a terrifying voicemail on my phone, but I didn't have a single call from you." He said, sitting down on the edge of the bed, grabbing her hand.

"I told them not to call you." Haley said, sighing and shaking her head. "I'm fine, Nathan. I promise." She said softly, kissing his hand. "I was just feeling some unexpected pain."

He closed his eyes, letting out a deep breath. "Haley." He said, shaking his head. "Why didn't you call me?"

"You were in the middle of a basketball game, baby. It wouldn't have made a difference. I didn't want you to worry if it was nothing." She said, resting her hand on his cheek. "Obviously Brooke and Peyton didn't feel the same."

"You should've called me." He said, shaking his head. "What did the doctor say?"

"He said that everything is fine." Haley said, biting her lip softly, pulling him into a soft kiss. "I'm fine." She whispered.

"And the baby?" He asked her softly, letting out a deep breath. He raised his eyebrows when Haley started grinning, pulling him into another kiss.

"Your son is fine." She assured him, winking at him.

Nathan raised his eyebrows, "My son?" He said softly, grinning at her.

"It's a boy, Nathan." Haley said to him, wrapping her arms around his neck, kissing him again. "I was going to tell you over a nice dinner, because I was expecting you to be home tomorrow."

"We're having a son?" He asked her, wrapping his arms tightly around her.

"Yeah, baby." She said, closing her eyes and resting her chin on his shoulder.

"Haley! This is amazing." He said, kissing her head softly. "I can't believe it." He whispered, resting his hand on her stomach. "That's our son in there."

She smiled at him, resting her hand over his, biting her lip. "I love you, Nathan."

"I love you too, Hales." He responded, kissing her cheek. "I wish I could've been here for you."

"Shh, it was nothing, Nathan. I didn't want you to worry." She said, brushing her fingers through his hair. "Everything is fine."

"That scared the hell out of me, Haley." He said softly, rubbing his hand over her stomach. "I was so worried about you, and the baby- our son." He said, breaking into another grin.

Haley smiled at him, "I'm going to be outnumbered now. Looks like I'll never get to watch anything on TV but basketball." She said, smoothing out his shirt.

"Hey, unless he doesn't like basketball." He said, shaking his head.

"I can't imagine any of your children not liking basketball, Mr. Scott." She said, winking at him.

"Well, my wife already doesn't like it." He pointed out.

"It's growing on me." She responded, kissing him.

"If he doesn't like basketball, I can live with that. If none of my kids like basketball, then I'll be fine." He said simply, shrugging.

Haley smiled, running her fingers through her hair. "You're going to be a great dad, you know that?"

"I owe it all to you. I definitely didn't get it from my own father." He said softly, smiling at her.

"You are quite the charmer." She said, patting the bed next to her.

Nathan climbed over her, laying on his side and propping his head up, looking at her and grinning. "I can't believe we're having a son."

"It's amazing." She said, running her fingers through his hair. "I'm sorry to make you rush home after your game. You're probably exhausted."

"I wish I could've been here." He said, shaking his head and letting out a deep sigh. "I should've been here."

"Stop it, Nathan." She responded, leaning back against the headboard, closing her eyes.

"You should've answered my phone calls, Haley." Nathan said, sitting up slowly, looking at her.

"I was asleep, babe." She laughed, slinging her arm around his neck.

He let out a deep breath, shrugging slightly. "I was so scared."

Haley smiled at him, her fingers moving up to fiddle with his earlobe. "I'm sorry." She said, kissing his cheek. "Really. I should've called you. But I knew that if I heard your voice, I wouldn't be able to hold it in."

"Well, I'm glad I came home tonight." He said, resting his hand on her leg.

"Did you win your game?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"We didn't make a single basket the whole game. 0-74. We sucked ass." He said, shaking his head.

"Oh, shut up, Nathan. I know that's not true. What was the real score?" She laughed, ruffling his hair.

"76-74." He hummed, shaking his head. "Not our best game, but at least I can tell my son that I won my game the night I found out about him." He said, laughing quietly.

"You've been doing pretty well this season." She said, nodding at him.

"Shh." He said, covering her mouth. "You can't say things like that out loud, Haley."

"What? Interviewers tell you that all the time." Haley laughed, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, but you'll jinx it, and our winning streak will be gone." Nathan said, kissing her cheek.

"Please, Nathan. Just don't get a big head, and you'll be fine." She said, shrugging slightly.

"I'm sure I'd been winning every game by thousands if my biggest fan was sitting in the crowd." He pointed out, nodding at her.

"Clay goes to almost every game, Nathan." Haley teased him, winking at him. "I watch almost every game."

"I know you do, but do you know how hard it is not to tell people, Hales? I'm so excited." He groaned, shaking his head. "Especially now that we know we're having a boy."

"Believe me, Nate. I want to be at your games." She said, sighing softly. "But I also want the privacy."

"And you're completely right, Haley. If I could, I'd stay here with you forever." He said simply.

"Then why don't you?" She laughed, cuddling against him. "We'll lock the doors."

"Don't tempt me." Nathan responded, shaking his head. "I really would. It sucks being away from you, especially when things like this happen."

She smiled at him, tangling her fingers in the hair on the back of his head, pressing a light kiss to his jaw.

"I get asked about you more than I get asked about basketball now. Everyone wants to know what's going on with the mystery that is Haley James' disappearance." He pointed out, nodding at her.

"It's not like I never go out in public. I'm at Red Bedroom all the time. Hell, I'm even at Clothes Over Bros." She pointed out, shaking her head. "I don't really know how word isn't out. People in Tree Hill just don't care."

"You do things in the middle of the day when everyone is at work." He laughed, nodding at her. "Everyone thinks I'm keeping you locked in a basement without a phone or access to the outside world."

"No one thinks that, Nathan." She laughed, swatting at his chest softly.

"I know, but eventually they might." He pointed out.

"I wouldn't mind being locked in a room with you with no access to the outside world." She said, kissing him softly. "Trust me, baby. This isn't easy for me either. I want to be there for you more than anything. I just feel like this is the right thing to do for our son."

Nathan broke into a grin, feeling his heart melt at her words. "Our son." He responded, looking at her. "I love the sound of that."

She laughed, cuddling closer to him. "I knew you would."

"Think of all the amazing things we're going to do, Haley James." He said, squeezing his eyes shut.

"We have an amazing life, Nathan. One that we should never take for granted." She said quietly.

"I know that I'll never take you for granted, Haley. You're my world." He whispered, letting out a deep breath.

Haley smiled at him, kissing his cheek softly. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, beautiful." He whispered, rubbing his hand over her leg lightly.

She looked at him, smiling slightly. "How's Luke doing?"

"I think he's okay. He's in Omaha right now on his book tour, visiting Mouth so that will be good for him, I think." Nathan said, letting out a small sigh. "I wish he could make up his damn mind about what he wants in life."

"I think he should just be with Peyton. I mean, why continue to cheat on girl after girl when he could just be happy with the girl he's cheating with?" She asked, shrugging slightly.

Nathan laughed, "Good point. Why don't you tell him that?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"I love Lucas, Nathan. But maybe he needs it beat into him, which is more up your alley." She teased him.

"I beg to differ." He said, smirking slightly.

"Oh, shut up." She laughed, pushing him softly and shaking his head.

"I missed you." He informed her, letting out a small sigh. "A lot."

"I missed you too, baby. This big empty house isn't as nice when you're not around." She said to him, running her fingers through his hair. "I miss you slipping into the shower with me every morning." She hummed out, "I even miss yelling at you for bouncing a basketball on my nice hardwood floors." Haley teased him, laughing quietly.

"Only five more months left in the regular season. We'll see if we make post season." He said, shrugging slightly.

"Only two and a half more months of being pregnant." She hummed, kissing him softly. "Maybe I can catch the last half of your season."

"Please have the baby while I'm home, Haley." He said, fiddling with a loose string on her shirt.

"I'll do my best." She said, snuggling into his warm body.

"What are you going to do if I'm not home?" He questioned her, raising his eyebrows.

"I'll call Brooke." She said simply, "And if not Brooke, then Peyton. Maybe I'll have Quinn come stay with me." She shrugged slightly, "Or my mom. I'll call Lucas if I need to." She chuckled, kissing his cheek.

"I just want to make sure that you and our boy are going to be alright." He said, resting his hand on her stomach, smiling at the familiar feeling of their son kicking at his hand.

"We'll be fine, Nathan. You worry a lot." She said, resting her hand over his.

"I can't not worry, Hales." He groaned, shaking his head. "I want to be there. The closer it gets, the more I'm going to lose my focus. If you go past your due date, I'm never going to-"

Haley shoved her hand over his mouth, "You keep your mouth shut, Nathan Scott. None of that going past my due date-" She glanced down at her stomach, before glancing back up at him and mouthing the word 'Shit.' She shook her head quickly. "I don't want to hear it. I'm by going past my due date."

"What was that?" He asked, raising his eyebrows and laughing.

"I read online that our baby can hear everything we say. I don't want him to come out cursing like a sailor." She said, shaking her head.

"Well, shit, Haley. I'll do whatever the hell I want. Dammit." He said, smirking slightly.

"Nathan!" She said, slapping his arm softly.

Nathan burst into laughter, hugging her close to him. "I love you." He said, kissing her head lightly.

"You can't butter me up with that, Scott." She said, shaking her head. "In fact, I'm kicking you out of our room. I'm not exposing him to that."

"Haley James, you can't believe everything you read online." He reminded her, shrugging slightly.

"I can do whatever I want, Nathan." She informed him, closing her eyes. "Leave."

Nathan smirked at her, adjusting himself a bit so he could lean down and kiss her neck lightly, "Do you actually want me to leave?" He asked her, trailing his hand up her leg.

Haley let out a slow, deep breath, tilting her head to the side. "This might work on me." She said, biting her lip.

He nodded slowly, sucking at her skin. "Usually when I get home, you jump my bones. We must be exiting the honeymoon phase." He said, nuzzling his nose against her neck.

"Don't use the phrase 'jump my bones' when you're trying to turn me on." Haley said, pulling him closer to her.

"Noted." He hummed, tugging on her shirt softly.

"And don't swear while we're having sex." She laughed, shaking her head.

"Noted." He said again, sitting up, pulling his shirt over his head, and turning his focus back to her.


	42. Chapter 42

**Finding The Way Back**

 **This is mostly a filler.**

 **Chapter 42**

Haley's fingers scratched lightly along her husband's bare chest, beginning to press light kisses along his skin, a small smile playing at her face.

Nathan ignored her for a little bit, shifting slightly and shaking his head a little bit. He finally blinked his eyes open, looking over at the clock. "What are you doing?" He grumbled, letting out a deep breath.

"I just wanted you to wake up." She said softly, sitting up slowly, running her fingers through his hair. "I can't sleep."

"And why's that?" He asked her quietly, rolling on to his side, looking up at her and resting his hand on her leg, propping his head up.

"Because your son won't stop kicking me. Maybe he'll be a soccer player." She said, rubbing her hand over her swollen stomach, biting down on her bottom lip.

He chuckled, leaning over and kissing her stomach. "It's mean to wake a guy up the way you did, then tell him things like that." He joked, sitting up slowly, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"I missed you." Haley whispered, resting her head on his shoulder. "As soon as your head hit the pillow, you were out and I just couldn't handle not talking to you."

"Couldn't handle it, hm? I did call you when I was leaving the airport," He reminded her.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked him, resting her hand on his stomach, looking up at him.

"I try to leave everything that happens on the court." He responded, looking at her and kissing her forehead. "I'm sorry for just dropping into bed and going to sleep."

She looked at him, sighing softly and pressing herself into his side quietly, resting her head on his shoulder. "What happened?"

Nathan leaned his head back, glancing down at her and shrugging slightly. The Hornets had played a game against the Phoenix Suns that night, and He had played like absolute shit, it seemed like it was turnover after turnover, only having ten points by the second half. One of the guys on the Suns had been egging him on a little bit, trying to get a reaction out of him. There had been one point where they were literally up in each other's faces, shouting at each other, each team holding the other back. During the first half, Nathan had received a technical foul, which had been an accident. But in the last two minutes of the third quarter, he was guarding the guy that had been being a dick to him, and he'd gone to steal the ball from him, and the guy had tripped but the ref called it a foul. Of course, that had made Nathan angry, and turned to the referee and started yelling at him. And of course, he'd received another technical foul and was ejected from the game, The Hornets taking a hard loss.

"I was just mad." He finally said, shrugging slightly. "Lucas was being an idiot on the phone before the game. My mom was whining to me about how she misses me. Clay wasn't answering my phone calls, and some of my team mates were teasing me about you." He said, sighing softly. "He was just talking trash to me, and I didn't want to listen to it anymore, so I said some things to shut him up, and we were mad. I was playing bad, and everyone was being annoying."

"Why were you yelling at the referee?" She questioned him, raising her eyebrows.

"Because he wasn't doing his damn job right!" Nathan grumbled, rolling his eyes and sucking in a deep breath.

Haley lightly rubbed her fingers over his chest to calm him down, kissing his chin softly. "Shh..." She whispered, smiling at him.

"I don't want to talk about it anymore. I'm mad about how it went down, I just want to be here with you. Is that okay?" He asked, looking down at her.

She nodded her head quickly, "Of course." She said softly, smiling at him. "I love you, Nathan Scott. Every part of you."

"I love you too, Hales. I'm sorry." He said softly, closing his eyes.

She smiled at him, "The good thing about you coming home angry, is that when you do... You just come home and start ripping your clothes off and get into bed, and your muscles are all tense and flexed. You're hot." She chuckled, winking at him. "But then you just go to sleep."

"I'm sorry." He laughed, running his fingers through his hair. "How are you doing?"

"My album is nearly done. I think I'm going to do a phone interview once it's out, just to let everyone know that I am still in fact alive and well." She informed him, smiling at him.

"Yeah?" He asked, grinning at her and kissing her softly. "I think that's a great idea. Maybe people will ask me about basketball then."

"Now you know how I felt when we first started, whatever it was we were doing. I would go to interviews and everyone just had to know about Nathan Scott, sexiest man in the NBA." She teased him, smiling slightly.

"You were so mean to me." He joked, kissing her head.

"I wasn't looking for love." She protested.

"A year ago tomorrow." He said to her, nodding slowly. "That's when you couldn't handle other girls staring at me, so you spent five thousand dollars. On someone you could've had for free."

"Shut up, Nathan." Haley laughed, kissing him briefly. "I shouldn't have woken you up."

Nathan smiled at her, letting his hand rest on her stomach for a brief second, nudging his nose against hers. "I'm sorry for losing my temper on the court. I'm sure it's embarrassing to watch your husband being thrown out of a game."

She shook her head quickly, smoothing her thumb over his cheek. "You don't have to apologize to me, baby." She said softly. "I don't know if yelling at the ref was the best idea, but I could see it coming."

"I didn't trip him." He said, letting out a deep breath. "Whatever, it doesn't even matter. I'm over it." He said, leaning back.

She smiled at him, chuckling quietly. "I believe you." She said simply, pecking his lips once more, cuddling into his side. "Calm down." She whispered, rubbing his side softly. "You're very tense."

"I'm just so mad at myself." He grumbled, letting out a loud sigh. "I lost my cool. I've been trying really hard to keep my temper under control. I just felt like everything was piling up, and I needed someone to take it out on. God, I'm going to suck at this."

Haley frowned at him, sitting up straight and looking at him. "Suck at what?" She asked him quietly.

"Being a father." He said, letting out a deep breath, looking down at her stomach.

"Where the hell did that come from?" She asked him quickly, grabbing his chin and forcing him to look at her.

"I just let it all build up and I lash out at people. I don't want to do that to our kids." He said softly, letting out a deep breath. "And I don't want him to see me do things like this, Haley. Get thrown out of games. I don't want to be a bad example."

Haley listened to him quietly, staring at him and shaking her head. "Baby..." She trailed off, pulling him into a deep kiss. "Just by you worrying about those things, it already tells me that you're going to be an amazing father. I've seen you with my nieces and nephews- our nieces and nephews, and you're great with them. Kids are drawn to you. I've never done this before either, Nathan. This is completely different than my siblings' kids. I can't just hand our son off when he's crying. I'm not worried about you at all. You'll be an amazing father, okay? And you have me to lean on. And I'm so thankful that I have you to lean on. I'm scared to death, honey. I know it won't be easy, especially with our busy schedules, but I know that we can do it."

Nathan looked down at her, nodding slowly. "I'm really excited, but I'm really, really terrified." He said softly, shrugging slightly. "Terrified for everything. I'm scared I won't be here when you go into labor, I'm scared our kid won't even know who the hell I am because I'll be gone so often. I don't want to miss anything."

Haley pulled him close to her, shaking her head. "I can't promise you that you won't be gone when I go into labor, I can't promise you that you won't miss things. But I can promise you that our son, and all our children will love their dad, and look up to their dad, almost as much as their mom does. Okay? You don't ever need to worry about being forgotten, because I would never let them not know you, and the good man that you are." She said quickly, nodding at him. "Plus, you come home all the time, and I'm sure children will just make you want to come home even more."

"You keep talking about children." He said, smirking slightly. "That means you want more."

"Are you surprised?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"Not at all, you can't stay away from me." He said, pulling her closer to him, leaning over and kissing her softly.

Haley smiled against his mouth, pecking his lips multiple times, before grabbing his chin, beginning to kiss all over his face.

Nathan laughed loudly, rolling his eyes, squeezing her shoulder softly. "Haley James, what are you doing?"

She looked at him, kissing his cheek once more, before leaning into his arm. "No more sadness, Nathan Scott. I don't like it when you're upset. I like it when you're laughing and smiling."

He rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "You're so amazing, Hales. Wow. You take my breath away."

"Right back at you, Mr. Scott." She said, smiling at him, smoothing her hand over his chest.

"Why thank you, Mrs. Scott." He said, smirking at her, fiddling with her shirt collar lightly.

"Mm... I love being Mrs. Scott." She said softly, adjusting slightly.

"Well, you make the name look good." He said softly, resting his forehead on hers, resting his hands on her side.

She smiled, pulling him closer to her. "Still want to go back to bed? Because I was hoping that maybe I could relieve some of your tension from earlier." She said, smirking at him.

"I don't have a game tomorrow, or practice. So really... Who needs sleep?" He asked her, kissing her once again.

xxxx

Nathan stormed down the stairs, pulling his shirt over his head and rolling his eyes. Who the hell was pounding on their door in the middle of the night?

They'd ignored it for about five minutes, hoping it would go away, but it hadn't, so Haley convinced Nathan to go answer the door, much to his annoyance, especially considering the circumstances. He'd left, grumbling something about how he wasn't in the mood anymore.

He stepped up to the door, shaking his head and letting out an annoyed sigh as the doorbell started to ring rapidly.

"Son of a bitch." He grumbled, "Calm your shit, dammit." He muttered, yanking the door open and stopping in his tracks.

Holy shit. So much for spending time with his wife. He felt his stomach flip, and his heart stop. Not in a good way. This was not going to be good.

Taylor James.


	43. Chapter 43

**Finding The Way Back**

 **Chapter 43**

Taylor James coming around usually meant trouble, and headaches for everyone around her. Whether they be from hangovers, or her constant need to one-up anyone and be the center of attention. But especially in this situation, it meant trouble.

He felt frozen. What should he do? What could he do? Send her away? Never tell Haley who was at the door? Lying would definitely not make anything better. Standing here in front of her, made him feel dread. Like the happiness was about to end, as much as he hoped it wouldn't. They'd been doing so well.

"Taylor, you can't be here." Nathan finally spoke in a hushed voice, shaking his head.

"What, are you afraid that I'll reveal more of your deepest, darkest secrets?" Taylor asked him in a teasing tone.

He shifted, shaking his head quickly. "Stop it, Taylor." He said, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"I'm kidding, Nathan. Please." Taylor said in a much more serious tone, letting out a deep breath. "I want to talk to my little sister."

"I really don't think that's a good idea, Taylor." He said, glancing over his shoulder.

"Why should she forgive you, but not me? I'm her sister!" Taylor argued, grabbing Nathan's shirt. "It's not fair, Nathan."

"Taylor, you shouldn't be here." Nathan said again, letting out a deep breath, grabbing her wrist gently, removing her hand from his shirt.

"You're so annoying! Can you say anything else?" Taylor snapped to him, pushing him back lightly. "Please, Nathan. She's my sister. And as much as we fight, and yell, she's still my sister."

He looked at her, searching her eyes, trying to find out any information from her. She seemed sincere. But Haley wouldn't listen. He'd tried to urge her to reach back out to her siblings, but she'd shut him down as soon as the conversation started. He knew his wife, and his wife was stubborn, especially when it came to her older, much more wild sister.

"I don't know, Taylor..." Nathan trailed off, rubbing his hands down his face, looking down at the gold band on his left hand. Did he owe it to Haley to kick her sister out? Or did he owe it to her to invite her in so that they could make it better? Would letting her in make it better or just make it worse?

"Take a chance." She begged him, biting down on her lip, looking up at him.

Nathan opened his mouth to respond, staring at her. She was begging. Strong, confident, parade around the house wearing nearly nothing Taylor James, was begging him.

He was about to respond, when her heard his wife clearing her throat behind them. His whole body stiffened, just from the simple noise, he could tell this was not a good situation. Unfortunately, it was mostly his fault that they were in it. His own stupidity and selfishness so many years ago had caused this.

Taylor showing up had reopened the wound that he had been trying so desperately to fix.

He turned around quickly, making eye contact with his wife. "Haley." He said softly, taking a step towards her.

Haley held up her hand, stepping back. "Don't, Nathan." She said softly, shifting her gaze from his, to her older sister.

"Haley Bob, please listen to me." Taylor said quickly, pushing past Nathan, looking at her and letting out a deep breath, taking in her younger sister's appearance. Of course she'd known Haley was pregnant. But seeing it was different than knowing about it.

Haley looked between the two of them, feeling her voice catch in her throat. She wanted to be over it, so desperately. She wanted to hug her sister and welcome her with open arms into her home. Their home. She looked at Nathan. They'd been doing great. Her husband. She loved him so much, and for the most part... She'd forgiven him. For the most part. But seeing the two of them in front of her, looking like they'd been caught with their hands in a cookie jar... The memory was coming back. She scowled slightly, shaking her head. "I can't do this." She said softly, letting out a deep breath.

"Haley, let me talk to you, please." Taylor said, stepping forward. "I just... Let me talk."

"No." Haley said simply, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm sorry." She said softly, turning around and heading back up the stairs, a door slamming shut a minute later.

Nathan closed the front door slowly, letting out a deep breath and looking at Taylor. "You really screwed this up, didn't you Taylor? Dammit."

"I didn't do anything, Nathan." Taylor snapped, shoving him backwards. "You're the one that came to me. You screwed this up years ago."

"Things were going well, Taylor! This was not the way to do this. Ambushing our house in the middle of the night?" He asked her, shaking his head quickly.

"I'm here the same reason you are." Taylor said quickly. "Because I love her, and care about her. And if she can forgive your stupid ass, she'll be able to forgive me. I wish that I could take it back, Nathan. I never meant for it to come up. But you all were being so annoying."

"Maybe you shouldn't be such a bitch and date your sister's ex husband." Nathan snapped, looking towards the stairs. His wife was never going to talk to him.

"Don't blame me because you feel guilty, Nathan. When it comes down to it, you found me. I didn't find you." Taylor said simply, shaking her head and glaring at him.

Nathan let out a deep breath, shoving his hand through his hair, looking around the dark house. Here came the headache. Unfortunately, he hadn't even had a drink so he knew it wasn't from a hangover.

"You're right." He said finally, letting out a deep breath. "I shouldn't have ever put you, or myself in that position. I'm sorry." He said softly, looking at her. "I'm glad you stopped it though."

"Me too. If we didn't stop, she'd never be able to forgive us... Or at least you." Taylor said softly, frowning. "I have to talk to her."

Nathan looked up the stairs, before flicking his gaze back to Taylor, rubbing his neck lightly. "We have plenty of rooms. Find one." He said quietly, letting out a deep breath.

Taylor visibly relaxed a little bit, hurrying to him and throwing her arms around his neck for a brief moment. "Thank you so much, Nathan." She said quickly.

"I'm going against my better judgement, Taylor." He said, clearing his throat. "There's a guest room just down the hall. The bed should be made up." He grumbled, heading up the stairs. He really hoped this didn't bite him in the ass.

Nathan tried their bedroom door handle, and as he expected, it was locked. He pressed his ear to the door, listening for any noise his wife made. He couldn't hear anything, so hopefully that was a good sign. He stood there for a minute, debating on whether or not he should talk to her, before deciding against it.

He made his way down the hall to another one of their guest rooms, slowly lifting up the covers of the bed and climbing under them, folding his arms beneath his head and staring at the ceiling. He looked over at the clock, letting out a deep sigh. 12:08 A.M. It had officially been a year since Brooke's charity event. A year since Haley bought him. But they weren't going to celebrate that today. Or tonight. Because his own stupid decisions had gotten him here.

He'd like to say that he never would have been able to go through with sleeping with Taylor. He was pretty sure that he wouldn't have been able to do that to Haley. But a broken heart can make a huge shift inside of a person. He would take it back in a heart beat. All of it. They were supposed to be happy now, together in their bed. That was the deal. She goes on tour, they get back together, they get married, and live the perfect life with kids. Not, she goes on tour, they get married, she finds out he almost slept with her sister, she leaves for a month and finds out she pregnant, they work it out for the most part, and the sister comes back and hopefully doesn't screw it up all over again.

That's not how their story was supposed to go. That's not how it was going to go. It wasn't fair of him to blame Taylor, and he knew that. But she wasn't completely blameless in the situation.

The door creaking open brought him out of his thoughts, blinking his eyes slowly and sitting up, spotting Haley in the door way.

"Hales..." Nathan trailed off, rubbing his neck.

Haley climbed into bed next to him, laying down so her back was facing him, silently.

He looked down at her,slowly sliding down the bed, turning on his side so he was near her, but not pressed against her.

Haley could feel his body heat radiating against her, and she needed to be closer to him. She was upset, and conflicted inside, but Nathan was the love of her life. It hurt to see them together, but her and Nathan had to be okay. She scooted back a bit, reaching over and grabbing his arm, wrapping his around her and letting his hand rest on her stomach, closing her eyes an letting out a deep breath.

Nathan pressed a gentle kiss to the back of her head, pulling her closer to him, gently rubbing his hand over her stomach. "Haley, I-"

"I don't want to talk right now, Nathan." She cut him off quickly. "Please just hold me."

He nodded slowly, lifting up his head and looking down at her. "I can do that." He responded, quietly, resting his head back against the pillow.

xxxx

Nathan snuck down the stairs the next morning, running his fingers through his hair. This was not going to be a good day. He found Haley sitting at the kitchen counter, her elbow rested on the counter, her head resting against her palm while she read. He pressed a gentle kiss to the back of her head, walking to the fridge, pulling it open. This was not the type of silence that he liked. This was a stressful silence, all around. He could hardly bring himself to look at the woman in front of him, he felt ashamed for his actions from years ago. It was all piling up again.

Haley looked at Nathan, letting out a deep breath and focusing her gaze back on the book she was reading, biting down on her bottom lip.

Nathan took a seat next to her, wrapping his arm around the back of her chair, his knee bouncing up and down quickly. "I love you." He whispered, kissing her head once again.

"I love you too, Nathan." She responded, looking at him and sending him a small smile. "That hasn't changed, and it won't change."

He smiled at her, letting out a deep breath, reaching his other hand over to rub her stomach briefly. "I love you so much, Hales. Remember that." He said again, standing up. "I'm leaving."

Haley's head snapped to his, narrowing her eyes. "Where are you going?"

"Brooke asked me to entertain Julian for the day." He said, shrugging. "You need to talk to your sister." He said quickly. "I'm sorry, Haley."

"Nathan." She said, scowling at him and shaking her head. "I don't think this is a wise decision on your part."

"You're pregnant, she won't hurt you, you can't do much to hurt her. I'm sorry, baby. You have to talk to her." He said, resting his foot on the chair, tightening his shoe laces.

"What if I don't want to?" She snapped in response, glaring at him.

"Well you need to." He said simply, letting out a deep breath.

"Why don't you just find somewhere else to sleep tonight?" She grumbled, throwing her book in his direction.

Nathan caught the book quickly, letting out a small sigh. "If that's what you want, I'm sure Lucas won't mind me crashing at his place."

She looked at him, brushing her fingers through her hair. "I'm sorry for throwing my book at you." She said quietly, standing up.

He nodded at her, kissing her forehead once more. "Talk to her, Haley." He said, letting out a deep breath.

"Maybe you should stop by and make sure I haven't killed her tonight." She said softly, glancing towards the stairs. "I probably won't talk to her."

"Okay." He responded, nodding at her. "I'll see you later, Hales. I really think you should talk to her. She's your sister."

"You should talk to her. She's your sister." Haley mocked him, shaking her head and sitting back down.

"Call me if you need me." He said softly, letting out a deep breath. He really hoped that this didn't backfire on him. He was positive that Haley was unhappy with him right now. This probably wasn't a wise decision, but for once, Taylor was right. He was the one that screwed this up. Taylor was the one that put it to a stop.

He kissed her cheek once more, hesitating for a moment, before heading out of the house quickly. Hopefully the house would still be standing when he returned.

xxxx

Haley spent most of the morning sitting in their room restlessly. She couldn't find anything to watch on TV, and the book she was reading was not as good as she hoped. Damn, Nathan. What the hell was his problem anyways? Who was he to decide who she did and did not talk to?

She let out a deep breath, brushing her fingers through her hair. Maybe if she hurried downstairs, Taylor would still be asleep and she could get out the door and go over to RedBedroom Records and get some work done. Yeah, that could work.

She stepped out of her room, looking around, before heading down the stairs as quickly and as quietly as she could. She was nearly at the door, when she heard Taylor clear her throat.

She chose to ignore her, grabbing the door handle, before Taylor had rushed to her, leaning against the door and forcing it to remain shut.

"What the hell, Tay?" Haley snapped, glaring at her sister. "Let me out."

"No! We're talking." Taylor said, shaking her head. "I'm going to make you talk to me."

"I'm not talking to you. I don't want to. You should probably just leave." Haley responded, rolling her eyes.

Taylor began to poke Haley's arm rapidly, smirking slightly. "Talk to me." She said, watching her younger sister. "Talk to me." She repeated. Once Haley ignored her again, she began once more. "Talk to me, talk to me, talk to me, talk to me..."

Haley walked away from her, rolling her eyes as her sister continued to follow her around, poking her quickly.

"I can't believe that you're giving me the silent treatment, that's a little second grade, Hales." Taylor said, poking her arm quicker, with a little more pressure. "Talk to me!" She whined.

Haley glared at her, shaking her head. "You're a bitch. Happy?"

"A little bit." Taylor hummed in response, looking at Haley and letting out a deep breath. "You know, Hales... It's really not fair. You forgive Nathan this quickly, but I'm your own blood. Wouldn't you want your kids to forgive each other?" She asked, glancing down at her stomach.

Haley looked at her, before following her gaze, biting down on her lip. Of course, she knew the answer to that. But the stubbornness inside of her wasn't done with this.

"Nathan is my husband." She reminded Taylor, shrugging. "It's different when it comes to him. And you know what- No, no. I don't owe you anything. I'm not going to talk." Haley said, shaking her head. "I can't believe any of this."

"I heard that you're having a boy." Taylor said, changing the subject. "From Mom." She informed her, shrugging slightly.

Haley shifted slightly, resting her hand on her stomach and nodding silently.

"Nathan must be excited about that." Taylor hummed, looking around the house. "Your house is gorgeous."

Haley nodded again, letting out a deep breath and taking a small step back.

"When you were a kid, you used to sing and I would tell you to shut up because no one wanted to hear it. Guess I was wrong in that one, hm? Since the whole world is freaking out because 'What the hell happened to Haley James?' Hm?" Taylor said, letting out a deep sigh. "I knew you were a good singer, I just wanted to torture you."

"Like you always did." Haley mumbled bitterly, shaking her head. "What in the hell are you even doing here, Taylor?"

"I told you why I'm here, Haley! I'm sorry, okay? And I'm not saying that you shouldn't forgive Nathan, because obviously, considering the circumstances, you should. But I'm the one that put it to a stop!" Taylor defended herself. "Nathan knows that, I know that. But you don't seem to get it."

"Don't come into my house and tell me what I do and do not understand. I understand!" Haley snapped, shaking her head. "But, dammit, Tay! You always do this!"

"Always do what?" Taylor asked, rolling her eyes. "You're the one with the ring, Haley! It's not like I'm trying to steal him, or even want to steal him."

"You could have any guy! But you always choose the guys that are off limits! David, Nathan. What, are you going to try and take Clay? Or maybe Jared. There's a lengthy marriage that you could break up." Haley said, rolling her eyes.

"Now who's the one being a bitch, bitch." Taylor said, shaking her head.

"I am not! I'm telling it like it is." Haley said, crossing her arms.

"Sure, okay." Taylor said, matching Haley's stance and crossing her arms.

"You know what?" Haley began, shaking her head. "Forget this. You stay on that half of the house, and I'll stay on this half. I'm taking the kitchen because I'm pregnant, and you can take the front door so you can get to your car. Feel free to leave whenever." Haley grumbled, walking up the stairs once again.

"Seriously, Haley?" Taylor almost laughed, watching her sister head up the stairs.

Haley glanced over her shoulder, rolling her eyes and continuing up the stairs.

xxxx

Taylor was sitting on the couch, watching some TV show when Haley came down stairs.

"You're still here." Haley grumbled, shaking her head.

"Duh. I'm not leaving." Taylor responded, following Haley into the kitchen the best she could, staying on what was supposedly "her" side of the house.

"I'm not planning on talking to you." Haley said, sighing softly and looking at her.

"Darn." Taylor said, snapping her fingers dramatically. "That's so different than what you said earlier." She said sarcastically.

Haley shook her head, staying quiet and opening up the fridge, letting out a deep breath. She looked around quickly when she heard her cellphone start ringing, playing the familiar sound of "I'm Too Sexy", the ringtone that Nathan had set for himself.

Taylor smirked slightly, grabbing the phone, which so happened to be on her side of the house. "Would you look at that?" She hummed, holding up the phone. "It's Nathan."

"Don't, Taylor." Haley sighed, rushing towards her.

"If you cross, you have to talk to me." Taylor hummed, looking at her.

Haley let out a deep breath, shrugging.

Taylor held the phone out, putting it on speaker phone and nodding to Haley.

"Hello?" Haley asked, glaring at Taylor and shaking her head.

"Hey! I'm surprised you answered. How are things going?" Nathan's voice rang through the phone.

"Taylor is the worst, what do you think?" Haley responded, looking at Taylor, who made a face at her.

"So it's going well. I'm at the store with Julian. Is there anything you need?" Nathan asked into the phone.

"Nope. I'm good." Haley said, sighing softly.

"Baby, please don't be upset with me." He said.

"I'm not." She responded, rolling her eyes slightly.

"Yes you are." Nathan replied, letting out a deep breath.

"I have to go, Nathan. Taylor is being a bitch." Haley said, glaring at her sister.

"Listen, I'll make it up to you tonight." Nathan hummed through the phone.

Haley could almost hear the smirk on his face, her cheeks tinting pink. "Okay, whatever." She said quickly, shaking her head at the smile on Taylor's face.

"I'm going to run you a nice hot bath. You'll be so relaxed by the time I'm done with you, you'll forget about your stressful day. Trust me. And, since I'm at the store, I did notice we were running low on-"

Haley reached over quickly, ripping the phone out of Taylor's hand and holding it to her ear. "I've gotta go! Bye!" She said, hanging up the phone.

"You crossed! I almost got a look into your kinky sex life." Taylor said, smirking at her. "You crossed. That didn't take long."

"This whole house is my house, Taylor." Haley grumbled, shoving her phone into her pocket.

"Haley." Taylor argued, sighing softly. "Just talk to me and then I'll leave."

"Taylor, I don't want to talk about it! I don't want to think about it." Haley said, biting her lip, avoiding her sister's eyes.

Taylor let out a deep breath, "Haley." She said, shaking her head. "I think that we should talk."

"You keep saying that." Haley said, running her fingers through her hair.

"Yell, cry! Do something." Taylor said, shrugging. "You're acting like a child."

"I'm acting like a child? Me? Why don't you try growing up for once, Taylor? Stop messing with everyone else's lives, and focus on your own." Haley said, crossing her arms.

"I'm here, aren't I? Trying to fix this." Taylor said, rolling her eyes and gesturing between them.

Haley let out a deep breath, biting her lip. "Well you should've been here four years ago when you almost slept with Nathan."

"Maybe." Taylor said simply. "But I'm here, apologizing to you. I didn't find him, Haley. He found me. He pursued me. I'm not trying to turn you against him by any means, but I think you should know what happened. I'm the one that put an end to it, and he spent the rest of the night a drunk, blubbering mess. He fell asleep on the floor, and was gone by the time I woke up the next morning. We didn't have sex, no clothes even came off."

Haley let out a deep breath, looking down. "You should've told me. He should've told me. It's not right."

"I know, but I figured it would make things worse. I do have some type of conscience." Taylor said, shrugging.

"Yeah, but then you told me in front of our whole family. You embarrassed me, and you embarrassed him. Not to mention our brothers tried to beat the hell out of him." Haley said, letting out a deep breath.

"You were being rude to me and to David!" Taylor said, shaking her head quickly.

"Quinn's ex husband, Taylor!" Haley pointed out, rolling her eyes. "Honestly. I don't understand what goes through your head sometimes."

"Stop it, Haley. Okay? I get it. I screwed up. I'm the screw up. But this is who you're stuck with as a sister. I'm sorry your husband lost his virginity to me, and I'm sorry that we almost slept together again, but you need to let go of the past." Taylor said to her, crossing her arms. "We're all sorry. Honestly, I'm just the only one brave enough to confront your moody pregnant ass. You forgave Vivian quickly. You've forgiven Nathan. Quinn has even forgiven me. Time to let it go."

Haley looked at her sister, letting out a deep breath. For once... She was making a lot of sense. She thought back to what Taylor had said earlier. If her children were in the same position, she would want them to work it out, as screwed up as the situation is. Their parents had done a good job at not pushing her, but it was probably hurting them to see their children fighting. Maybe it was time to ease up a little bit.

She let out a deep breath, nodding her head. "You know what? Fine, Tay. Fine. I'm over it." She said simply, shrugging her shoulders. "Well, no. I'm not. But I'm done being bitter about it."

Taylor looked at her, letting out a sigh of relief. "Good." She said, hesitating for a moment, before pulling Haley into a tight embrace. "It only took the whole day for me to convince you. I was worried it would take longer." She chuckled, glancing at the clock.

Haley hugged Taylor back, letting out a deep breath. "I can be pretty stubborn." She admitted quietly, looking at her sister and nodding.

"Yeah, you can." Taylor said, smiling at her. "I'm sorry, Haley. I really am. I should've been thinking more when Nathan showed up. But he is really, really cute..."

"Too soon to joke about it." Haley cut her off, sending her a disapproving look.

"It has been four years." Taylor said, shrugging slightly.

Haley shook her head in response, letting out a deep breath. "Not for me." She reminded her, running her fingers through her hair.

Taylor smiled at her, nodding her head. "Okay, I'm sorry." She said, letting out a small sigh. "I'm very sorry, Haley. I really am."

Haley shrugged her shoulders, "It's not okay. But I appreciate the effort and that you're here and trying." She said softly, biting her lip.

"If I could take it back, I would." Taylor said, letting out a deep breath.

"Thank you." Haley said softly, nodding at her.

"I can't believe you're pregnant." Taylor said, looking at her. "You look great."

"That's definitely one way to soften me up." Haley said, smiling slightly.

Taylor looked at her, letting out a deep breath. "I'm so glad that you can even consider forgiving me."

"Well, I forgave Nathan." Haley said, walking into the living room and sitting down.

Taylor followed her, taking a set next to her. "Are you feeling okay?" She asked her quietly, letting out a deep breath.

"Yeah, I was just tired of standing." Haley said, laughing quietly and looking over at her. "I'm... Sorry for holding the grudge for so long."

Taylor waved her hand, "I don't blame you. I'm a bitch." She said simply, shrugging. "It's okay, I don't plan on changing that about myself."

Haley nodded her head, letting out a small sigh. "Just as long as you stay away from my husband."

"Hales, I wouldn't ever try and seduce your husband, you have to know that." Taylor said, shaking her head quickly.

Haley looked at her, running her fingers through her hair. "I believe you." She said softly, biting her lip.

"So, what's it like to be known as Nathan Scott's hostage at the moment?" Taylor chuckled, raising her eyebrows. "I saw you being referred to as that."

Haley groaned, shaking her head. "People can deal with it. Nathan has repeatedly told them that I'll be releasing new music soon." She grumbled, rolling her eyes.

"How are you going to tell people that you had a baby?" Taylor asked, raising her eyebrows.

"I don't know, maybe I'll never tell people. I don't want anyone or anything to ever harm him." Haley said, sighing softly.

Taylor smiled slightly, "So, do you have a name for him?" She asked her, nudging her softly.

"My lips are sealed. Nothing is official, but we have a few solid contenders." She hummed, shrugging slightly:

"Oh come on!" Taylor laughed, shaking her head. "I can't believe you're having a baby. With your high school boyfriend, who is now your husband. And he's in the NBA. And you're this world famous singer."

Haley smiled slightly, letting out a deep breath. "I know." She said, looking down at her stomach.

"Did you ever think your life would turn out like this?" Taylor asked her, smiling at her.

"For Nathan, I did. For me... Not so much. I don't know. I always thought that I would be a teacher. I wanted to already have a kid by this time though." She said, biting her lip. "I don't know, plans change. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. But this is definitely for the better. I can't imagine myself next to anyone but Nathan." She hummed softly.

"I did always like... What was his name? The actor?" Taylor asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Dylan." Haley responded, clearing her throat.

"Yeah, him." Taylor chuckled, "Not a great boyfriend. Easy on the eyes. Always willing to share top secret information about the things he was working on, none of it was very good though."

Haley shook her head, laughing quietly. "Yeah, he was a piece of work. I don't know why I dated him, really. Or even why he dated me." She said, letting out a deep breath.

"He was funny though, I'll give him that. Nathan, not so funny." Taylor chuckled, smirking slightly.

"I think Nathan is funny." Haley argued, crossing her arms.

"Really? Or do you just laugh at his jokes when he's around?"

"I make sure to tell him when he tells a stupid joke. But I think he's funny."

"And he can't dance, so it's a good thing that you didn't have to dance at your wedding." Taylor pointed out.

"I'll give you that one. He can't dance." Haley laughed, shaking her head. "Dylan couldn't dance either though. I'm not sure I've ever dated a guy that could dance."

"Well you ended up with the worst of them all." Taylor chuckled, smiling at her.

Haley smiled, "Yeah." She said, shaking her head and leaning back against the couch.

Taylor looked at her, standing up and holding out her hand to Haley. "Come on, Haley. Show me around this mansion."

Haley took her hand, standing up and letting out a deep breath.

xxxx

Nathan climbed out of his car, brushing his fingers through his hair and glancing at the time. It was nearly ten o'clock at night. The house wasn't on fire. That was good.

He walked into the house quietly, looking around and raising his eyebrows. It wasn't messy. There was no shouting. Shit. Maybe Haley had killed Taylor.

He rushed up the stairs, pushing open their bedroom door quickly, stopping in his tracks at the candles that were scattered all over the room.

"Hales?" He asked, clearing his throat, poking his head through the door into the partially opened bathroom. She seemed calm. Sitting in the bath tub, looking rather relaxed. "What's all this?" He asked, stepping into the bathroom, kneeling down next to the bathtub, looking at her.

Haley smiled at him, brushing some bubbles over his nose. "I just wanted to do something for you. I figured you would be home soon."

"You know me so well." He chuckled, leaning over and kissing her softly. "I missed you today."

"I'm still mad at you." Haley said, looking up at him. "That was very uncool of you."

"I know. But if you need help hiding her body, I'm your go to guy." He said, kissing her again. "I don't know what it'll be like being pregnant in prison though."

"Very funny. I didn't kill her. She went home." She informed him, letting out a deep breath. "We talked."

"You did?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"We did." She confirmed, tugging on the collar of his shirt. "Will you get in?"

Nathan undressed quickly, sliding into the bathtub behind her, wrapping his arms around her tightly.

Haley leaned back against Nathan, her head resting back against his shoulder. "I love you." She said softly, resting her hand on his arm.

"I love you too, Haley. I'm sorry about this morning." He said softly, kissing the top of her head.

"I'm sorry I'm the most stubborn person in the world. I love my family so much, I do. But you're my family. My most important family is right here." She said softly, glancing up at him. "It's time for me to let it all go, Nathan. I don't like the way I feel inside when I think about them, or the person it makes me."

Nathan smiled down at her, holding her tightly against him. "I think that you're perfect, Haley James. And though I think it's the right decision, I'm never going to stop loving you... Regardless of what you do."

She let out a deep breath, staying quiet for a moment, before bursting into tears.

Nathan jumped slightly, looking down at her with a confused expression. "What... What's wrong?" He asked, stroking her arm lightly.

"Nothing, nothing." Haley said, waving her hand. "I just love you so much and I'm so thankful that I have you here with me. It's making me emotional."

He couldn't help but chuckle quietly, holding her tighter against him. "You're my everything, Haley James." He said softly, smiling at her. He was quiet for a second, his hand finding hers, lifting it up out of the water, comparing their sizes. "You know..." He began, looking down at her. "There have been a lot of times in my life, where I've felt lost, and hopeless. I don't know if I ever told you this, but last year around this time, I was in a bit of a funk. My dad had just gotten out of prison, and he'd tried to contact me." He said softly. "I just wasn't feeling like myself. I was lonely, despite all of the people around me. It was the holidays, and all I looked forward to was basketball. I didn't care that it was Christmas. I didn't even want to come home and see my mom. I just felt nothing towards any of it. But when I saw you, on this night, last year. I felt a spark. Even after one, brief conversation with you... My life was starting to make a little more sense. I don't even want to know what I'd be doing right now if it wasn't for you." He said softly, smiling down at her.

Haley looked up at him, kissing him softly. "You never told me that, no." She said softly, biting her lip. "I'm so thankful that I went, Nathan. I don't want to know where I'd be either." She said, holding his hand to her stomach. "I love you."

"I love you." He repeated back to her, smiling slightly. "Always and forever."


	44. Chapter 44

**Finding The Way Back**

 **Very quick update, I'm amazed at myself. There probably aren't many chapters left in this story. Sorry!**

 **Chapter 44**

Nathan brushed his fingers through his hair, looking at the time and letting out a deep breath. "Come on..." He grumbled, looking over at Clay, who was leaning back in his seat, on his phone, his legs up on the dashboard.

He reached over, shoving his agent's legs off the dashboard. "Get those off my car." He snapped, staring out the front window.

"Calm down, Nathan." Clay said, waving around. "It's not my fault we're stuck in construction." He said, shrugging slightly.

"It is your fault! I wanted to leave tomorrow. On a Monday, in the middle of the day. There would be less people holding this up." Nathan responded, shaking his head and leaning back, letting out a deep breath.

"I guess I just miss Quinn more than you miss your wife." Clay said casually, going back to messing around on his phone.

Nathan reached over, rolling down his window, grabbing Clay's phone and dropping it outside. After a moment of sitting there, he looked over and sighed. "I'm sorry, man. I don't know why I did that." He said, getting out of the car quickly, grabbing his friend's phone off the ground, and getting back into the car, handing it back to Clay.

Clay blinked, looking down at his phone. "It's not cracked, so you're lucky." He grumbled, crossing his arms. "I'm just kidding, Nathan. Calm down. Just think, if we came home tomorrow, we'd be missing Haley's radio interview."

"We're going to miss it anyways!" He argued, rolling his eyes. "This damn construction is going to last for hours."

"Don't you want to surprise her, though? She's expecting you tomorrow. This is much more fun. Plus, we can still listen to it." Clay responded, nodding at him.

"We should've just taken the flight tomorrow." Nathan grumbled, "I don't need to surprise her for her to be happy to see me."

"Look, Nate. You're about to go on a two week long road trip. Now you get an extra day with your wife because I convinced you to leave today. So... You're welcome. Instead of two days, you get three. And I talked Coach Clifford into letting you skip practice tomorrow." Clay reminded him, shrugging.

Nathan let out a deep breath, shifting in his seat and staring out the front window at the cars in front of him. "I just want to be home now. But we haven't moved for fifteen minutes. I could just get out and walk faster than this."

"But then we'd miss Haley's interview." Clay reminded him, sitting up a bit straighter. "Okay, okay. Let's play a game. I'm going to start guessing the name of your baby."

"I don't want to play this game." Nathan said, rolling his eyes and letting out a deep breath.

"But I'm going to go in alphabetical order." Clay hummed, "And we're going to go through the whole alphabet as many times as it takes for me to guess."

"This just sounds like a game where you get to talk a lot, and that doesn't interest me." Nathan responded, shaking his head.

"Adam." Clay began, humming softly. "Benjamin." He said next, raising his eyebrows. "No, no. It has to be Clayton. Come on, tell me it's Clayton."

Nathan looked over at him, nodding his head. "I can't believe it only took you three tries to guess it. Of course I'm naming my son after you, buddy." He said, grinning at him.

"Seriously?" Clay asked, raising his eyebrows.

"No, you idiot." Nathan said, rolling his eyes. "Of course I'm not doing that. I don't like this game."

"Let me guess, you're naming him Dan." Clay fired back.

Nathan whipped his head around to look at his friend, punching him in the bicep. "Shut up."

"Ouch! Ouch. Dead arm." Clay groaned, picking up his left arm with his right hand.

"That wasn't a funny joke, Clay." Nathan began, letting out a deep breath, opening his mouth to talk again, when Clay cleared his throat, nodding towards the window.

Nathan looked over, letting out a deep breath at the group of three people that had gathered at his window. He smiled slightly, rolling down the window and nodding at them. "Hi guys." He said, waving at them.

"We saw you pick up your phones." One girl blurted out quickly, shifting nervously.

"Actually, it was my phone." Clay said, waving. "He threw it out the window."

"Sorry about my sisters." The guy, who he assumed was about nineteen said, gesturing to his sisters.

"Oh no, don't worry about it." Nathan said, clearing his throat, stepping out of the car, shaking each of their hands. "Are you guys basketball fans?"

"Yeah, sort of." He said, rubbing his neck. "You were a great addition to the Hornets. I was pretty excited when I found out that you were being traded to us."

"Yeah, well, it's a lot nicer to play close to home, that's for sure." Nathan chuckled. "What are your names?"

"I'm Jayden, and these are my younger sisters, Talia and Tasha." He said, gesturing towards them.

Nathan looked towards the girls, who looked to be probably fifteen, he also assumed that they were twins. He shifted slightly, rubbing his neck at the way they were staring at him.

"Nice to meet you guys." He said, clearing his throat. "Do you guys like basketball?"

"Yeah. But really, we're a big fan of you. And your life in general." Tasha blurted out, turning to her sister as she was smacked in the arm.

Nathan laughed, nodding at them, glancing in his car at Clay. "Well, life isn't feeling so amazing right now. I hate being stuck in traffic." He said, letting out a deep breath. "I'm assuming you two are fans of Haley."

"Two? Try three." Talia cut in, smacking Jayden in the stomach. "Isn't that right, Jay?"

"Well- I- Uh, Yeah." Jayden said, rubbing his neck. "Yeah."

Nathan smirked slightly, shrugging his shoulders. "She's great, I don't blame you."

"Since we're on the subject... What's she up to?" Talia asked, raising her eyebrows.

Nathan laughed, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Well, she just released another album..." He said, nodding at her.

"We know that!" Talia and Tasha said at the same time, shaking their heads. "Did she get a really bad haircut or something? Because I can't even remember what she looks like."

"She would make any haircut look good. She could even rock my haircut." Nathan chuckled, pointing at his head. "She's just... You know..."

"Sleeping!" Clay yelled from the car, giving Nathan a thumbs up.

"Sleeping." Nathan said, sighing softly and shaking his head. "Just kidding, she's busy."

"Doing what?" Tasha asked, raising her eyebrows.

Jayden shook his head, "Stop it. I knew this was a bad idea, we're sorry for bothering you, Nathan. Just wanted to make the traffic jam pass a bit faster." He said, letting out a deep breath.

"Don't worry about it. You saved me from a stupid game my agent was trying to make me play. Do you guys want to take a picture or something?" Nathan asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah, that would be great." Jayden responded.

Nathan nodded at Clay, gesturing for him to come outside. He stepped towards them, taking a few different pictures with them, before letting out a deep breath.

"It was nice to me you guys. Haley is doing a radio interview in about an hour and a half, so hopefully I can make it home by then. It should be great, she'll be talking about her album." He informed them, smiling and waving at them as they walked back towards their car, climbing back into his.

"At least Quinn is with Haley." Clay said, shrugging slightly.

"I'm going to call her. Don't talk." Nathan responded, shaking his head and picking up his phone, calling his wife. He sighed softly when she didn't pick up, dropping his in the cup holder.

"Let me call Quinn." Clay hummed, calling Quinn quickly.

Quinn picked up after a few rings, "Hey you." She said into the phone.

Clay turned it on speaker, nodding at Nathan. "Hey gorgeous. Is everything okay?" He asked her.

"Everything is fine. Haley is just panicking a little bit for some reason. She's just talking on the phone, get over yourself." Quinn chuckled.

Nathan smiled at the sound of Haley yelling at Quinn in the background. "She wasn't answering me."

"She's fine." Quinn said, letting out a deep breath. "Haley! Come talk to Nathan!"

After a moment of silence, Haley finally spoke over the phone.

"Hi Nathan." She said, letting out a deep breath.

"Hey. How're you feeling?" Nathan responded, looking over at Clay.

"I'm fine. It's just been awhile since I've done any type of interview and I'm worried I'm going to say the wrong thing." Haley said, sighing softly.

"You're going to be fine. I'm listening here with Clay. I can't wait to see you tomorrow. I wish I could be there so badly right now." Nathan said, smiling slightly.

"I know the feeling." She responded.

"But don't worry, baby. You're going to be fine. Just ignore the questions you don't want to answer, and promote yourself. That's what I do." Nathan chuckled, letting out a deep breath. "You'll do great. I love you."

"I love you too." Haley said quietly.

"Bye Quinn!" Clay chimed in, hanging up the phone and looking over at Nathan. "You sly bastard. You just lied to your wife."

"Maybe. If this doesn't ease up, then we might not even make it home until tomorrow." Nathan responded, leaning his head back.

"Check it out! We're about to start moving. It's a Christmas miracle." Clay said, gesturing around.

"Christmas already passed." Nathan grumbled, taking the car out of park, letting out a small sigh. "Okay, traffic. Get me there in the next hour and a half and I'll be fine."

"Are you talking to the traffic?" Clay asked him, raising his eyebrows.

"Shut up, Clay." Nathan responded, grinning as they started moving again.

"We're moving." Clay pointed out, before letting out a deep sigh as it stopped about ten seconds later. "Never mind. I guess we could keep playing the game?"

Nathan looked at him, letting out a deep sigh. "E. You were on the letter E."

xxxx

Of course, they were nearly to the Tree Hill Exit when the traffic jam started up again. So close to making it to Haley in time for her interview, yet so far. It was going to be starting in the next five minutes, and there was no way they would make it there.

"Kevin?" Clay asked, looking over at Nathan. "Come on, Kevin Scott. Sounds perfect. That has to be it."

Nathan groaned, hitting his forehead on the steering wheel. "No, no. No. This is the millionth time we've been through the alphabet, I don't want to do this anymore!" He yelled at Clay, shaking his head. "I just want to get home to my wife. We're so close. Get out and start making deals."

"Nathan, there's nothing I can do, buddy." Clay said, shaking his head. "We're just going to have to listen to it on the radio."

"I don't want to listen to it." He muttered, turning up the volume of the radio a bit, sighing loudly. "This sucks. You suck."

"Me? It isn't my fault." Clay argued, shrugging his shoulders. "Just listen to her song that's playing and let it soothe you." He hummed, turning up the volume again.

Nathan reached over, smacking Clay in the chest.

Clay raised his eyebrows, "Did you really just do that to me?" He asked him.

Nathan nodded, repeating his actions and rolling his eyes. "This is your fault."

"Oh, it's on." Clay said, smacking Nathan's face lightly.

"We should've just come home tomorrow like we were supposed to! Now you got my hopes up, and they're crashing down." Nathan shouted, continuing to smack Clay.

Clay continued to smack Nathan right back, shaking his head. "Stop complaining, Nathan! You're still going to get to see her a day early!"

Nathan pulled his arms back, crossing them and letting out a deep breath. "Let's just not talk anymore." He grumbled.

Clay rubbed his chest, pulling on the collar of his t-shirt, looking down at the red skin. "Damn you." He mumbled, staring out the window.

It was silent, until the music shifted and a male voice began speaking.

"Hello everyone! It's Joey here, and we've got a treat for you. We have singer songwriter formerly known as Haley James, now Haley James Scott on the phone with us right now, to promote her new album. Haley, say hi."

"Hi everyone!" Haley said.

Nathan smiled slightly, he could hear the subtle shaking in her voice. She'd done this millions of times, yet she was still a little afraid. He wanted more than anything to be with her.

"So, Haley. What are you doing right now?" Joey asked.

Haley laughed, "Well, right now I'm sitting in my living room, speaking with you." She informed him.

"What do you want to tell us about your new music?"

There was a short pause, before Haley finally spoke again. "It's real. Does that make sense?"

"Care elaborate a bit more?" He asked her.

"I wrote all of the songs on this album, like I usually try and do, but sometimes I do record songs written by other people. But all of these songs are from me, and I poured my heart into them. I wrote them when I was happy and in love, and I wrote them when I was sad and struggling. These songs are everything to me, and I really hope that you are all enjoying them." Haley said, smiling slightly.

"Thank you, Haley. I know that I've been enjoying them, and that my kids have enjoyed them. How is everything going with you? It's been a long time since we've heard from you." Joey asked her, smiling.

"I'm doing great, actually. Really, really amazing. I know it's been awhile, but my heart is so full right now. My life feels like it's all falling into place." She said, letting out a deep breath.

"What's it like? Having your husband on the road all the time? Are you worried about him?"

"Of course, I mean... I'm even worried about him when he's home. I'm never not thinking and worrying about him. He's everything to me." She responded.

"Okay, Nathan. You can stop forcing Haley to read the cue cards." Joey laughed.

Haley chuckled in response, "Like I said, I speak from my heart. Nathan's not with me right now, unfortunately." She informed him.

"So, can you tell us how your songs reflect your marriage? You and Nathan were not together for that long before you tied the lnot. Tell us a little about that." He pried.

"We did get married rather quickly, but we were both ready. We dated when we were younger, and it just felt like it was the right thing to do. It hasn't been the easiest, of course. But no marriage is easy. My music does reflect my mood at the time that I'm writing, but if a song that I've written sounds like I was going through a hard time, it doesn't necessarily mean it has anything to do with Nathan. Same with a happy song." She said, letting out another deep breath.

"I know that Nathan answers this question a lot. Mia Catalano has been getting it, Peyton Sawyer, Brooke Davis, Lucas Scott, even Chris Keller, you name it. Anyone you know has been answering this question. Where the hell have you been, Haley Scott?" He asked her.

"I've been at home. I'm so grateful for the life I have, but when I spend so much time away from home, it's nice to stay home for a little while. A Tree Hill Branch of Red Bedroom has opened up, Brooke Davis has opened up a store here. It feels like home. We all feel it." Haley said, sighing softly. "I've been keeping busy with my music."

"We won't pry anymore. When will you be touring this album?" He asked her.

"I'm not entirely sure yet. There's still some discussion on that." Haley said, chuckling quietly.

"Well, you let me know and I will find a show to go to. Your last tour was across North America. The next one are you thinking of broadening your horizon and maybe traveling to Europe?" Joey asked her.

Haley laughed, but stayed quiet for a moment.

Nathan looked over at Clay, kinking one eyebrow.

"Why is she laughing?" Clay asked him slowly.

"Haley?" Joey asked when she had not answered.

"Yeah, sorry. If Europe would have me, then I would love to travel the world and perform." Haley said slowly.

"On your honeymoon, you and Nathan traveled the world it looks like from the pictures. Did you have a place that you loved?" He asked her.

"I... Loved London. Nathan did, um, he did too." She responded.

Nathan looked over at Clay, turning up the radio a little bit. "What's wrong with her?" He asked, blinking slowly.

"London is great. What about Paris? Did you two enjoy your time there?" He asked her.

Haley didn't answer. For a solid minute, there was nothing but silence.

"Haley? Are you still there?" He questioned.

Haley blew out a long, deep breath, laughing again before she finally spoke up.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I just... I think I'm having my baby."


	45. Chapter 45

**Finding The Way Back**

 **I'm not as happy with this chapter as I wish I was. I'm really just terrible with the hospital stuff.**

 **Chapter 45**

Nathan froze, his arms locked, his eyes wide as he clenched the steering wheel, staring ahead into the traffic in front of him.

Haley had quickly gotten off the phone with Joey, with a very good excuse, as everyone would agree.

"Nathan." Clay said, waving his hand in front of his friend's face. "Nathan!" He shouted, before pushing him lightly. "Dude! Your wife is having a baby."

"My wife is... Holy shit, Clay!" Nathan said, turning towards his friend, his eyes widening more if it was possible. "What the... What the hell? What do I do?"

Clay looked at him, and shrugged his shoulders, glancing out the window. "How far is the hospital from here?" He asked him, letting out a deep breath.

Nathan shook his head, looking around like a mad man. "Not too far, the freeway exit leads right into town, and the hospital is... Not that far." He said, beginning to hyperventilate a bit. "Shit, shit, shit."

"Breathe, Nathan." Clay said, looking at him. "We're almost to the exit." He reminded him.

"Call Lucas, tell him to pick me up." Nathan said, getting out of the car quickly, looking at Clay. "Then call Quinn and tell her I'm on my way."

"You're going to... Run there?" Clay asked, raising his eyebrows. "Nate, we're almost there!"

"No! She's having her baby! Call Lucas, then Quinn." Nathan shouted, beginning to close the car door.

"Hey, Nathan. Wait!" Clay said, watching his friend stop.

Nathan looked at him expectantly, letting out a deep breath. "What?"

"Bet you're glad I talked you into coming today, aren't you?" Clay asked him, smirking.

Nathan rolled his eyes, raising his middle finger up to Clay, before slamming the door shut and beginning to run down the freeway, past all of the stopped cars, towards the exit that was just a few hundred yards away.

xxxx

Nathan was a lot closer to the hospital than Lucas had expected when he picked him up.

"She's going to be okay, Nathan." Lucas assured his brother, nodding at him. "She really is."

"I know, but... She said she was nervous, and maybe she was just uncomfortable, I should've told her not to do the interview." Nathan said, letting out a deep breathing, still panting a bit from running. He rested his fingers on his neck, feeling his pulse.

"Nate! You're about to be a dad." Lucas exclaimed, grinning over at his brother, clapping him on the shoulder. "I'm proud of you, little bro."

Nathan grinned, wiping the sweat off his face. "I just wish the circumstances were a little different." He said, letting out a shaky breath. "This scares the hell out of me, Lucas. How am I supposed to leave her ever again?"

"Because this kid is going to have a really, really great uncle." Lucas said, smirking at him, pulling up in front of the hospital. "Get out of here, I'll go find a parking spot and meet you inside." He said, nodding.

Nathan looked at Lucas, letting out yet another shaky breath. "I can do this." He said softly, almost as if he was seeking reassurance from his older brother.

"You can do this." Lucas confirmed to him, pushing on his arm. "Go!"

Nathan rushed out of the car, and into the hospital. He could hear his blood pounding in his ears as he approached the front desk. "I'm here for Haley James- Haley Scott." He corrected himself, nodding quickly. "She's, um, she's having a baby. My baby- our baby." He corrected himself once more.

The woman behind the front desk picked up the phone, calling for a nurse to come lead him to the room that Haley would be in.

It seemed like it was taking forever as he was led throughout the hospital, running his fingers through his hair nervously. He stopped outside of Haley's door, hearing her crying out in pain inside, waiting while the nurse went in.

"Mrs. Scott, your husband would like to come in, is that alright?" The nurse asked her.

Haley looked at him, blinking in confusion, "My husband is in Charlotte." She said, letting out a slow, deep breath.

The nurse looked over at Quinn, shrugging his shoulders, before looking at Haley. "There's a man who claims to be your husband."

"Well damn, if you could just let him in, I'll tell you if he's my husband or not, my husband is in Charlotte, I don't know who's out there!" Haley snapped.

Quinn looked down at Haley, squeezing her hand. "Actually, Hales, he's not." She said, nodding at her. She looked up at the nurse, nodding again. "Let him in."

The nurse nodded, letting out a breath of relief and stepping back towards the door, pushing it open and gesturing for Nathan to enter.

Nathan rushed over to Haley's bedside, glancing at Quinn, before stroking his hand over Haley's hair. "Hi baby." He said softly, kissing her forehead.

Haley grabbed onto his wrist, looking up at him. "You're here." She said quietly, digging her fingernails into his skin for a brief moment.

He nodded quickly, "I'm here." He responded, brushing her hair back. "And pretty soon, our little son is going to be here too."

She bit her lip nervously, squeezing Quinn's hand, before letting go of it it.

Quinn smiled at her, interpreting what she was trying to tell her. She leaned down, kissing Haley's head. "You're going to be great, Hales. I'll see you when you're done." She said, sending Nathan a reassuring smile, before stepping out of the room.

Nathan quickly took Quinn's seat, grabbing onto Haley's hand immediately, "I'm so glad you're okay." He whispered, kissing her knuckles lightly.

"How are you here?" Haley asked him quickly, blinking at him.

"We wanted to surprise you a day early." He said to her, smiling slightly. "Now I'm really glad we did."

"Why are you all sweaty?" She asked him, reaching her hand out and pushing his hair off his forehead.

"We drove here, and there's some terrible construction or some shit happening on the freeway, of course. We were supposed to be back in time for your interview, but nothing was happening. It was horrible." Nathan said, smiling at her, scooting his chair forward. "And when you decided to announce to the whole world that you were having a baby, we still weren't moving so I had Clay call Lucas to meet me, and I got out and started running. No way in hell I was going to miss this." He said, gesturing at her.

She laughed, but it was laced with pain, squeezing down on his hand tightly. "I'm so glad that you're here, Nathan." She whispered to him, looking over at him. "I was scared you wouldn't be."

"Me too." He responded, leaning over and kissing her lightly, smiling at her. "I can't believe this is the way you told people. I thought we were going to make some elaborate plan, but nope, you musicians always have to surprise people." He teased her, brushing his thumb along her knuckles.

"I think I would find you a lot funnier if I wasn't about to push another human out of me that you put inside of me." Haley said, letting out a deep breath and squeezing his hand again.

Nathan couldn't help the smile that formed on his face, "It takes two to tango." He reminded her, winking at her and letting out a deep breath, looking up quickly as the doctor walked into the room.

"Okay, Haley. We're going to move to you the delivery room. Are you ready to have a baby?" He asked him, a small smile on his face.

Haley looked over at Nathan, letting out a deep breath. "As ready as I'll ever be." She said, smiling slightly and nodding at him.

Nathan paused as Haley's bed started to get wheeled out of the door, pushing his hand through his hair. "Wow." He said softly, his heart racing. They were having a baby. He snapped himself out of his thoughts, rushing after her.

xxxx

Nathan had not been able to stop staring at their baby from the moment he was set in Haley's arms. His heart was still racing a mile a minute, but now he couldn't hear. Haley was talking to him, but he couldn't hear her.

"We have a son." He blurted out, his eyes flicking to hers, before a grin formed on his face. He rested his hand on her cheek, leaning over and kissing her deeply.

Haley laughed, biting down on her bottom lip lightly and looking over at Nathan. "That's your dad." She whispered to the baby in her arms, pointing at Nathan.

He reached out with a shaky hand, resting his hand on their new son, looking at her with wide eyes. "He's perfect." He whispered, letting out a deep breath. "You're perfect. You did so good, baby."

Haley bit her lip, looking over at Nathan, closing her eyes and leaning her head back for a second, before looking back down at the baby in her arms. "He's so beautiful." She whispered, tracing her fingers over his her son's cheek.

Tears welled in Nathan's eyes at the sight in front of him, scooting a but closer to her to get a better look at the two of them. He rested his hand on Haley's arm, leaning over and kissing her shoulder. "This is perfect." He whispered., grinning at her.

Haley nodded her head, letting out a deep breath. "We're parents." She whispered to him, scooting over on the bed carefully, tapping the spot next to her.

Nathan awkwardly climbed up onto the small bed next to her, shifting onto his side and staring at her. "You're the most beautiful mother I've ever seen in my life. I can't believe this." He whispered, gesturing down to their son. "We made that."

Haley bit her lip, looking over at Nathan and kissing him briefly once more. "I love you." She whispered to him, resting her forehead against his. "We did it." She said, looking down at her new son, letting out a deep breath.

He rested his hand over the blanket covering their baby, looking at the comparison in disbelief. "Look at my hand compared to him." He said, grinning up at Haley.

She smiled brightly at how happy Nathan seemed. "Should we bring people in now?" She asked him quietly, looking down at him.

He hesitated for a moment, shifting on the bed, careful not to shake her too much. "I guess so." He whispered, kissing her forehead. "You look amazing."

She smiled at him, rolling her eyes. "I look like a wreck."

"No." He said, kissing her again. "You look beautiful, baby. I'm so thankful I was here for this. Even though you did crush every bone in my hand." He teased her, winking at her and stepping out of the room.

Nathan let out a deep breath, walking to the waiting room and smiling when he saw Clay, Lucas, Quinn, Brooke, and Peyton sitting outside. "It's a boy." He said, smiling at them.

Brooke stood up, "We already knew that, Nathan. Details." She said, nodding at him.

"18 inches. Seven pounds, six ounces." He said, holding out his hands to set an example.

"Little Clayton is probably perfect." Clay said, standing up and stretching.

"That's the name? Clayton?" Peyton asked, raising her eyebrows and looking at Clay. "Really?"

"What's that supposed to mean, Sawyer?" Clay asked, shaking his head.

"I'm just saying, Clayton Scott? I don't think so." Peyton said, shrugging.

"James." Nathan said, clearing his throat and nodding at them.

"Clayton James? He's taking Haley's last name?" Clay asked, raising his eyebrows.

"No, James Scott." Nathan said, sighing softly at how oblivious his friends were being.

"Clayton James-Scott?" Peyton questioned, "Really? His name is Clayton?"

"You two are being so dumb right now." Quinn sighed, shaking her head. "His name is James."

"Thank you." Nathan groaned, kicking his foot at the ground, shoving his hands into his pockets. "James Lucas Scott." He said, making eye contact with his brother.

Lucas stood up, a grin forming on his face. "Really?" He asked.

Nathan nodded his head, letting out a deep breath. "Come on, man. You think I would name my kid after any of these people?" He asked, gesturing over to his other friends.

Lucas rushed over, pulling Nathan into a tight hug, letting out a deep breath.

Nathan rolled his eyes, before hugging Lucas back, smiling slightly. "Thanks for the ride, man." He said quietly.

"Thanks for taking good care of her, Nathan." Lucas whispered in response, nodding at him, before letting go and stepping back.

Nathan looked past Lucas once again at their friends. "Do you guys mind if-"

"Just don't make us wait too long." Brooke groaned, sitting back down.

Nathan chuckled, nodding at her, "Come on, Luke." He said, smiling at him. "He's perfect." He began, heading down the hall with his brother, shoving his hand through his hair.

"Of course he is, Nate." Lucas chuckled, "He's part Haley. And there's a little bit of me in there too."

"Don't say it like that." Nathan groaned, shaking his head quickly. "He's not going to look like you."

"For your sake, you better hope he does." Lucas said, smirking at him.

"I just hope he gets my height and outgrows you." Nathan responded, shrugging.

"You're like two inches taller than me." Lucas grumbled, "And Haley is short, so good luck with that." He said, watching as Nathan stopped in front of the door.

"Haley might start crying when she sees you." Nathan informed him, letting out a deep breath. "But, Luke... Man, he's perfect." He said quietly, looking at his brother and nodding. "You might start crying when you see her."

Lucas smiled at him, clapping him on the back. "Good job today, Nate. Now I really want to see my nephew."

Nathan grinned, pushing open the door quickly, sucking in a deep breath and taking in the sight of his wife holding their son. It was a beautiful sight. One that he was positive that he would never get over seeing. The connection the two of them already had after his short time in the world... It was truly remarkable. The loving look in her eyes was one that made his heart race. He could tell that she was holding him so gently, yet so tightly at the same time. This was their world now.

Lucas tapped his back, pushing past him slowly, grinning at Haley. "Give him up." He said, quickly putting some hand sanitizer on his hands, holding out his arms.

Haley smiled brightly at her friend, carefully setting her son into his uncle's arms, her heart melting at the sight.

Lucas cradled him close, looking down and smiling brightly. "Thank you." He said, glancing over at Haley.

Nathan took a seat next to Haley on the bed, kissing the side of her head lightly, brushing his hand over her arm.

Haley leaned into Nathan, letting out a deep breath. "He's perfect."

"Yeah, he is." Lucas agreed, grinning. "Kid's got a good name too." He hummed, looking down at him. "I didn't know he had six fingers on one hand though."

Haley raised her eyebrows, sitting up straighter and blinking. "What?"

Lucas laughed, winking at her. "Kidding." He said, shrugging his shoulders.

Haley reached out, smacking his leg lightly, before leaning back into Nathan, gazing up at him. She reached her hand up, brushing her finger along his cheek for a brief moment, before laying back against the pillows behind her.

Lucas looked at her, letting out a deep breath. "How're you feeling?" He asked, nodding slowly.

"Tired." Haley laughed, brushing her fingers through her hair. "But I'm so, so happy." She said, resting her hand over her heart, her gaze locking on the small baby in his arms.

"You going to call him James? Kind of a big name for such a little guy." He said, holding him closer.

Nathan looked down at Haley, shrugging his shoulders slightly. "I don't know." He chuckled, kissing her head.

"I was thinking you could call him Lucas." Luke added, smirking slightly.

"Thankfully, we still have time to figure it out." Haley said, smiling up at Nathan.

"He'll live up to the name James though, I'm sure. It's an amazing name." Nathan whispered, nudging his nose into Haley's hair, lightly brushing his fingers up and down her forearm.

Lucas smiled, taking a seat in the chair that Nathan had previously occupied, looking at the two people. "Normally, I would be grossed out by all the affection that's being passed around. I don't know, you guys just look happy. So I'm happy for you." He said, nodding at them.

Haley smiled over at Lucas, "Thank you, Luke." She said, letting out a deep breath. "What makes you happy?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"We're not playing matchmaker after you just had a baby." Lucas chuckled, looking down at a sleeping James in his arms. "Because anything you say to me, I'll probably listen to, since you just named your kid after me. Isn't that right little Lucas?" He spoke to the baby, his voice getting higher pitched.

"How's Peyton doing?" Nathan asked, smirking over in his brother's direction, raising his eyebrows.

"You guys are going to become that couple. The couple that needs to be in everyone else's business. Ask your wife how Peyton is doing. She spends a lot of time with her." Lucas chuckled, holding up one finger to them, lowering his head down a bit, before looking up. "Big Game James wants you to stay out of my business."

"Big Game James. Oh lord." Haley laughed, shaking her head. "I'll stay out of it for now." She said, shrugging her shoulders.

Nathan lifted up Haley's hand by her wrist, pressing a light kiss to her palm. "Big Game James. Maybe I should start calling you that?" He suggested, winking at her.

"I wouldn't if I were you." She teased him, kissing his cheek, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Get used to that, little man. Your parents are grossly affectionate with each other." Lucas informed the baby, smiling slightly. "I'm sure they'll be eighty and I'll still walk in on them. Give me a heart attack probably."

Nathan laughed, looking down at Haley. "If you could snag a girl this amazing, Luke... You'd remind her every second of every day how much you worship the ground she walks on." He said, smiling at her.

Haley rolled her eyes, kissing him once more. "Yeah, Lucas. If you could have someone like me, you'd be lucky." She joked, looking over at him. "Oh wait! You could have someone equally as amazing, if not more. She's sitting out in the waiting room, waiting for you to tell her."

"I don't think Brooke Davis wants to hear that from me. She seems pretty happy with Julian." Lucas joked, shaking his head.

"I think the Brooke Davis ship has sailed for you, buddy." Nathan said, shrugging his shoulders.

"I'd bet millions of dollars on those two getting married." Haley said, nodding at them. "Before you ask, no. I'm not talking about you telling Quinn how you feel."

Lucas laughed, "She is pretty hot. I can definitely say I had a little crush on her when we were younger." He said, standing up and looking at his nephew. "I'll see you later, J-Luke. Uncle Lucas is going to go tell Clay how he feels about him." He said, grinning at the couple on the bed, before carefully setting him in Haley's arms.

"I'll send more people in. How many?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Just send them all." Haley said, letting out a deep breath. "I'm too exhausted to play therapist for all of you." She joked, smiling up at Lucas. "If you and Peyton are coming back, find a place and bring me a milkshake or something." She said, winking at him.

Lucas laughed, kissing Haley's forehead. "Will do. I love you, Hales." He said, smiling at her. "Good job today, kid."

Haley smiled at him, "Thank you. I love you too." She said, letting out a deep breath and looking down at her baby, cooing at him.

Lucas smiled at them, nodding at Nathan. "And you take care of him, because his ass was going to run to this damn hospital." He chuckled, smacking his younger brother in the leg, before heading out of the room.

Haley smiled up at Nathan, kissing him briefly. "I'm so glad you made it, Nathan." She said softly.

"Me too." He responded, smiling down at his son. "I would've ran the whole entire way here. I would not want to miss something this amazing."

She let out a deep breath, leaning into him. "I love you." She whispered to him, smiling.

"I love you too." He said softly, nodding at her. "You've given me everything I have. You're the reason I'm happy right now."

"This life... It's perfect." She said, gesturing to him, then to their son.

He pressed a brief kiss to her lip, shifting slightly on the bed. "It would be a little bit more perfect if this bed was bigger." He joked, winking at her.

"You're welcome to sit back in the chair." She said, nodding over at it.

"And leave your side? No. I like the view I have right here. My girl and my baby." He said, grinning at her.

She laughed, "Good. I like you next to me."

He looked up when their friends walked into the room, smiling over at them.

"Let's see this angel baby that Lucas was bragging about." Brooke said, opening her arms.

"Hey! I'm the sister." Quinn said, pushing past Brooke and nodding. "Give him here." She said, smiling at Haley.

"It sounds fair." Haley said, setting their son in Quinn's arms.

Quinn took him, smiling down at him. "He's beautiful." She whispered, looking at Haley.

Brooke looked at him over her shoulder, smiling brightly. "He's so perfect! I can't believe it." She said, nodding. "And to think, this little baby owes it's life to me." She joked, nodding at her.

"It's partially true." Haley said, smiling at her, glancing up at Nathan. "Who knows when I would've seen Nathan again if it wasn't for you."

Nathan grinned, shrugging. "As much as I hate to admit it, we owe you, Brooke." He hummed, beginning to caress Haley's arm again.

"That's what I like to hear. Hear that little baby?" Brooke hummed, smiling. "I'm your Aunt Brooke and I'm going to love you for the rest of your life."

Clay smiled, looking at the baby. "Really, we owe Nathan being here to me though. He wanted to wait until tomorrow. But I knew we should come today." He said, smirking.

"Shut up." Nathan laughed, shaking his head. "Thank you, Clay. For talking me into coming today." He said, nodding at his friend.

Clay stepped to Quinn's other side, looking down at them, his smile growing. "Maybe we should have a kid of our own." He said, resting his hand on Quinn's shoulder.

Quinn kinked one eyebrow, looking up at him. "I don't know if I can do that after I spent a half hour with Haley going into labor." She joked, shaking her head.

"But you could get a cute little baby out of it." Nathan said, grinning slightly. "Could. Clay is kinda funny looking." He joked, shaking his head.

"Hey!" Clay said, shaking his head. "I'm pretty sure I guess James when we were playing that game, by the way."

"I hated that game and I wasn't listening to you." Nathan chuckled, kissing Haley's head.

Quinn laughed, smiling at the two of them. "I'm glad you made it here, Nate. I don't know if I could've handled her." She joked, shrugging slightly.

"She almost crushed my hand. These are the money makers. How the hell am I supposed to play basketball with a broken hand?" Nathan joked, winking at Haley.

Haley elbowed him lightly, shaking her head. "Stop making that joke, I don't think it's funny." She grumbled, leaning into him.

"I'm sorry, baby." He chuckled, sliding his arm around her shoulders, tugging her closer to him.

"You two are so cute." Brooke said, walking over and hugging Haley carefully, before hurrying around the bed and hugging Nathan. "Where's your camera when you need it, Quinn?"

"I would've had more time to think about it, if my sister had not gone into labor in the middle of a radio interview." Quinn laughed, bouncing tapping her nephew's back.

"It's okay. The memories are all I need." Haley said, looking at them and smiling brightly.

"How're things going?" Nathan asked Clay, standing up slowly, stretching out his arms. "With... You know, the bomb Haley dropped." He chuckled.

"People are surprised, to say the least. I logged into your twitter account and your notifications have skyrocketed. You two are actually trending, so there's that. Oh, and I changed your twitter password too because 'Basketball23' is an awful password. I guessed it." Clay said, shaking his head.

"Hey!" Nathan protested, shaking his head. "Not cool." He grumbled, sitting in the chair next to the bed.

"I had to send away a couple jackass reporters that were standing outside the hospital. I'm sure Lucas got bombarded when he left with Peyton. But yeah, people are going a little crazy. I advise that you still lay low for a little while. Remember the words 'no comment' especially after your next game. Don't take questions." Clay said, nodding at him.

"Got it." Nathan said, letting out a deep breath.

"When you two leave the hospital tomorrow, I'll try to make sure that people keep their distance, but don't talk to anyone, don't look at anyone. Just go home." Clay said, smiling at them. "And enjoy your time with your adorable little baby."

Brooke reached her arms out to Quinn. "My turn. Hand over that baby." She said, taking him gratefully from Quinn.

"You should be James Brooke Scott." She joked, winking over at Haley. "Just kidding, little one. You're perfect."

"He is perfect, I agree." Haley laughed, leaning back and looking over at Nathan, holding out her hand to him.

Nathan took her hand quickly, scooting his chair forward a bit. "I love you." He whispered, smiling brightly at her.

"I don't think I've seen the smile leave either of your faces the whole entire time I've been here." Quinn said, holding up her phone, taking a picture of them. "It's not the same as my camera, but at least it's a memory." She chuckled, taking a picture of Brooke.

Brooke looked at them, "So what's happening with Lucas and Peyton?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

"He's hopefully telling her that he loves her." Haley said simply, giving Nathan's hand a soft squeeze.

"Took him long enough." Brooke grumbled, shaking her head. "Your Uncle Lucas is a crazy man." She hummed, grinning down at the baby in her arms.

Nathan let out a deep breath, pushing his fingers through his hair, holding out his hand to Clay. "Keys." He said, nodding.

"Did you listen to what I just told you?" Clay asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah, I did. But my girl needs to eat." He said, smiling over at Haley. "And I'm not convinced that Lucas and Peyton will be coming back."

"We'll go get her food." Quinn said, nodding at Clay, linking her arm through his. "Right?"

Clay looked at Quinn, letting out a deep breath. "I didn't get to hold him yet."

"You can hold him when we get back." Quinn said, smiling over at Haley. "I'm proud of you, Hales. Really."

"You guys don't need to go." Haley said, shaking her head and smiling. "I'm fine."

"No. Go." Nathan chuckled, kissing Haley's head and sitting down again.

Clay nodded his head, waving at the baby, before at his two friends. "Alright. Dibs on him when he gets back. I don't care if your mom shows up, he's mine." He chuckled, tugging Quinn out of the room.

Brooke smiled at them, letting out a deep breath and taking a seat on the end of the bed. "Good job, you two. You managed to create the cutest baby on the planet earth."

"Thank you, Brooke." Haley said, smiling at her. "We really owe it to you. And I'm serious when I say that."

"Stop it. I'm sure you two would've found your way to each other." Brooke chuckled, shrugging her shoulders slightly.

"I've never been so happy to be objectified by you. I mean, if you had not put me up for auction, this little guy wouldn't be here." Nathan said, smiling at her. "Thank you so much, Brooke."

"Which is why..." Haley began, glancing over at Nathan. "We would like you to be James' godmother." She finished, nodding at her friend.

Brooke looked at her, before looking down at the baby, glancing over at Nathan. "Yes! Of course. But... Are you sure?" She asked, smiling brightly.

"I can already tell that you'd protect him with your life." Haley said simply, nodding at her. "And you've been there for both of us so many times. You'll take such great care of him, I know it." She said, tears forming in her eyes.

"Now I'm going to cry." Brooke said, hugging the newest addition to the Scott family close to her, biting her lip.

Nathan jumped up to his feet, taking him out of her arms and nodding at Haley.

Brooke stood up, walking to Haley's head and pulling her into a tight hug. "I love you three so much. I'm so glad that you're allowing me to experience all of this with you."

"You're the one we want standing next to us when all our dreams come true." Nathan joked, winking at her.

"Don't mock Lucas. It's a romantic line." Brooke scolded him, hugging her tighter. "I love you."

"I love you too." Haley laughed, hugging her back and letting out a deep breath.

Brooke smiled, kissing Haley's forehead, before turning to Nathan. "And I love you too, Nathan."

"Yeah, yeah. You too." Nathan responded, sitting down in his chair again, holding his son close to him. "You take great care of my wife when I'm not around."

"Well, now you're never going to get rid of me." Brooke laughed, walking over and kneeling down in front of Nathan, looking at the small child. "I knew about you before your Daddy did. So I'm pretty special, little guy. Don't forget me." She said, brushing her fingers over his cheeks. She stood up slowly, ruffling Nathan's hair, turning to Haley. "I'll leave you three alone now." She said softly, hugging Haley once more. "You call me if you need anything."

"I will." Haley said, letting out a deep breath, watching her friend leave, looking over at Nathan. "You look good with a baby."

"It's a good thing I plan on giving you so many more." He chuckled, winking at her, leaning back.

"Don't make promises you can't keep. We'll see if you can keep up with me. Now it'll be two people begging for your attention." She joked, smiling at him.

"I think I'll be able to manage." He said, letting out a deep breath. He stood up, setting James in her arms, pulling out his phone and taking a picture of them. "Something to send to your mom." He said softly, before crawling up next to her, shifting onto his side once again to give her more room, letting out a deep breath.

"I can't believe we're parents." He whispered, kissing her cheek. "You and me. It's a dream come true."

"You're a dad." She whispered to him, "We have a son."

"You're a mom." He said, grinning at her. "I used to think about what it would be like, when we were younger. I would lay awake in my dorm room, tossing a basketball up in the air and thinking about the future. Our future." He whispered. "It made me happy. But that doesn't even compare to the happiness I feel while I'm actually living it. You're everything I've ever wanted, Haley Scott. You've given me everything. I know I probably tell you that a lot, but it's not nearly enough. Thank you for putting up with me." He said, smiling at her.

"Right back at you." She whispered, resting her head against Nathan, looking down at their son.

It was silent for a little while, both of them enjoying each other's presence, before a small yawn echoed through out the room. Haley could feel him pushing against the blanket that swaddle him, before his eyes blinked open.

Nathan cooed at him, brushing his thumb over his cheek. "James Lucas Scott, you are one handsome man." He chuckled, adjusting the little hat on his head.

Haley smiled at the way he seemed to respond to Nathan's voice, biting down on her lip softly.

Nathan wrapped his arm around her shoulders, smirking slightly.

"You know, Hales... I knew our kids would be cute. Just look at you, and well... Just look at me. But I didn't know they'd be this cute." He chuckled, kissing her cheek.

Haley turned her head, kissing him softly, allowing her eyes to flutter shut.

Nathan pulled back after a second, grinning down at his son. "Like your Uncle Lucas said, you better get used to that. Because there's no way I'll ever be able to stop kissing this woman."


	46. Chapter 46

**Finding The Way Back**

 **Sorry it's been so long!**

 **Chapter 46**

Haley held the phone to her ear, resting the cloth over her shoulder, holding Jamie up and smiling slightly.

"Hey stranger. Where the hell have you been over the past two weeks?" She asked into the phone, patting Jamie's back lightly, holding the phone between her ear and shoulder.

Lucas chuckled, letting out a deep breath. "It's complicated. I'm sorry for leaving you right after you had a baby." He informed her.

"Yeah! Seriously. Where have you been?" She asked him, kissing the side of Jamie's head. "My husband leaves, my best friend leaves mysteriously at the same time as his longtime love. My mom was here all last week, thankfully." She said, letting out a deep breath. "So tell me the story."

Lucas laughed, and Haley could tell he was rubbing the back of his head, and most likely looking at Peyton.

"I'm sorry, Hales. I shouldn't have left. I should've talked to you in these last couple weeks too." He chuckled.

"Just tell me the story! I don't have all this time." She laughed, looking over at Jamie and smiling.

"Okay, so after I talked to you two in the hospital, I went to Peyton. I told her that I needed to talk to her." Lucas said, letting out a deep breath. "She hasn't even seen your little guy yet. She's pretty mad about that."

"Keep going, Scott. I have a baby that could cry at any second." She said, shaking her head.

"Alright, cool it. Okay, so I asked her if we could talk, then took her out to my car, you know, all smooth-like, the way that I do." He began. "We were sitting there, driving quietly, and she was confused. I was nervous to tell her." He laughed. "I looked at her as I was sitting at a stop light, and I put the car in park. I turned to her, and I said 'So... Peyton...' And then I just froze. She looked at me like I was the biggest idiot." He said, letting out yet another deep breath.

"What did you say next, Lucas? For the love of god, you're really dragging out this story." Haley grumbled, rubbing Jamie's back.

"The light turned green. The cars behind me were honking, annoyingly. I was just staring at her, before I said to her. 'Do you want to get married?' and she was dumbstruck. At a green light, I was stopped. People were honking."

"You did what?" Haley nearly yelled, bouncing Jamie lightly when he started to fuss a little. "Shh, sorry Jamie. Uncle Lucas just said something crazy." She said softly. "Did you actually say that?"

"I actually did." Lucas said, letting out a deep breath.

Haley listened as Peyton laughed from somewhere near him, raising her eyebrows. "Is this some type of joke? Are you married?" She asked him quickly.

"What? Is that too similar to you and Nathan?" Lucas chuckled, shrugging his shoulders.

"Shut up! Tell me what else happened, right now." Haley demanded, shaking her head.

"She looked at me like I was even crazier. And I told her that I was serious." Lucas said to her. "And she told me that I was crazy, and I said that I loved her. So we bought two plane tickets to Las Vegas." He said simply.

"You're married. Lucas Scott! You got married!" She grinned, letting out a deep breath.

"No, we didn't." Lucas said, sighing softly. "We went to one of the chapels. And it was a pit. Elvis would've been the one to marry us... And it just wasn't right. I thought Peyton deserved a perfect wedding. So we decided to wait a little bit longer. We're engaged." He said, letting out a deep breath. "We're going to head home in two days."

"Congratulations! I guess! Wow, Luke. You finally did it." She said, letting out a deep breath, looking up she heard the door bell ring. "Someone's at the door, just a second." She said, standing up and setting Jamie in the swing, walking to the door, shifting her phone in her hand, pulling the door open and freezing.

"Lucas, I'm going to have to call you back." She said quietly into the phone, hanging up before he could respond.

Dan Scott.

xxxx

Haley shifted uncomfortably on the couch, holding Jamie close to her, glancing to the chair Dan was sitting in, before looking down.

"Can I get you anything? Water, coffee?" She asked him, letting out a deep breath.

"I'm fine." Dan responded, looking at her. "Is Nathan not home yet?"

She shook her head slowly, "He's coming home tonight." She informed him, looking down at Jamie again.

"You must be relieved to have him home. I know how he was as a baby, I can't imagine how your son is." He said, nodding at her.

"James. We call him Jamie." She informed him, biting her lip lightly.

"I like it." Dan said, smiling slightly at the baby in her arms. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm doing fine." She said quickly, shaking her head. "What are you doing here, Dan? Are you looking for Nathan?"

"No." Dan said, shaking his head and letting out a deep breath, his gaze shifting to Jamie once again. "I didn't know that you two were expecting."

"Not a lot of people did." She responded, shrugging slightly. "We did that on purpose."

"I see." Dan said, sighing softly. "Well he's a beautiful baby."

"Thank you." Haley replied, tucking her hair behind her ear, looking at him. "What do you need, Dan?"

"I just... Wanted to see him." He said simply, his gaze narrowing on Jamie. "Neither you nor Nathan had said anything about him, I was worried something happened."

"He's fine." Haley confirmed, holding Jamie closer to her. "We just want to keep him to ourselves."

"Nathan being gone for the last two weeks must have been hard." He said, shifting slightly in his seat.

"My mom was here. Deb has been here. It hasn't been too difficult." Haley said, shaking her head.

"How are your parents doing?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"They're doing fine." She said, letting out a deep breath. "Deb is doing fine as well."

"That's good." Dan said, smiling at her. "And how are you and Nathan doing?"

Haley sent him a small smile, glancing down at Jamie. "We're doing amazing." She said, letting out a deep breath. "There's no way we couldn't be perfect right now."

"You may not believe this, but I'm happy to hear that." He said, nodding at her.

"Thank you." She responded, looking at him, before glancing down at Jamie. She let out a slow, deep breath, before speaking once again. "Dan... I don't know why I'm saying this... But would you like to hold him?" She asked him quietly.

Dan raised his eyebrows in surprise, nodding slowly. "If it's okay?" He said slowly.

She stood up, walking over to his chair, setting Jamie in his grandfather's arms, sitting down on the couch once again, closer to him this time.

"Hi Jamie." Dan said, holding him close, looking down at him and smiling slightly. "He's beautiful." He said, glancing over at Haley. "Looks a lot like Nathan when he was a baby."

Haley smiled slightly, nodding her head and looking at her son when he yawned, stretching his arms out and blinking his eyes open.

Dan slid his finger into Jamie's fist, his smile growing. "He's got quite the grip." He said, looking over at Haley.

She bit her lip, reaching her hand out and brushing it over Jamie's soft hair. "He's growing every day. Too quickly, if you ask me." She said, chuckling quietly.

"You blink your eyes and he'll be having one of his own." He said to her, letting out a deep breath. "I really just wanted to thank you, Haley."

Haley looked at him, raising her eyebrows. "Thank me for what?"

"I know that I've been awful to you, and to everyone. But thank you for taking care of Nathan, and Lucas for that matter. You've been a key part in making them the men they are today." He said to her, clearing his throat. "Nathan wouldn't have this little one if it wasn't for you."

She looked at Jamie, before her gaze moved back to Dan. "I didn't do anything for them." She said softly, letting out a deep breath.

"You've done everything." He informed her, looking down at Jamie. "I'm sure Nathan lights up around him. I wish that I could be around to see that, and to watch Jamie grow up, but I know that I can't, and I respect that."

Haley bit her lip, tapping her fingers on the arm of the couch. "I loved Keith, Dan." She said, looking at him. "A lot. He was such a good guy, and I don't think I'll ever forgive you." She said simply, before her gaze moved to Jamie. "That being said..." She let out a deep breath. "I don't know what to do. I don't know if keeping you from seeing him will stop you from trying, or stop him from wanting to see you. I just don't know, so I'm going to leave it up to Nathan." She said simply, shaking her head.

Dan opened his mouth to respond, when almost on cue, as if he knew that his name was brought up, the front door opened, and Nathan stepped through it.

Nathan tossed his bag to the side, "Honey, I'm-" He began to say, before stopping in his tracks, his gaze landed on Dan sitting in his living room, holding his son.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Nathan asked after a moment of silence, scowling.

"Hello, son. I was just leaving." Dan said, gently resting Jamie in Haley's arms, standing up slowly.

Nathan looked back and forth between them, shaking his head. He walked over, taking Jamie from Haley, before turning and storming up the stairs.

Haley blew out a deep breath, watching him go before standing up. She nodded towards the front door. "Sorry about that." She said softly.

"Don't apologize." Dan said, shaking his head and walking to the door. "I appreciate you letting me into your home, Haley."

"Yep." Haley responded, looking towards the stairs.

"I'm in the beach house for now if either of you ever need anything." Dan said quietly, pulling open the door.

"Alright." She said, waving at him. "Drive safely."

He nodded in response, glancing toward the stairs one last time, before walking out the door, closing it quietly behind him.

Haley brushed her fingers through her hair, picking up Nathan's duffle bag, heading up the stairs slowly. Of course Nathan had to surprise her by coming home early the day she lets his father into their house.

She walked up to their bedroom door, poking her head in and raising her eyebrows. "You're home." She said, smiling at him.

Nathan looked up at her from his seat on the bed, a small grin forming on his face. "Come sit by me." He instructed her.

Haley hurried over to the bed, carefully sitting next to him, closing her eyes as her arm brushed against his, biting her lip. "What are you doing home so early?"

"I couldn't be away from my little baby for any longer. It was actually killing me." He said, smiling down at Jamie. "Hey little buddy. I missed you." He said, sticking his tongue out at Jamie.

She laughed, pressing a light kiss to the side of his head, looking down at Jamie, "Alright, I see how it is." She teased him, biting down on her lip.

Nathan looked at her quickly, leaning his head down and kissing her for a moment, smiling slightly when they parted. "I missed you so much, baby." He assured her, pressing a brief kiss to her forehead, before looking back down at Jamie.

It was quiet for a moment, both of them just watching the little baby in Nathan's arms, smiling whenever he did again. If he moved his hand even a little bit, a giant grin would break out on Nathan's face. The look of pride on her husbands face as he watched their son warmed Haley's heart so much. It had been difficult for her, not having him here, but at least she had some extra help. He had suffered over these last two weeks, every phone call he'd whispered into the phone how much he missed both of them, as if it was some sort of secret that he only wanted her to hear. He played every game with the same confident attitude, possibly doing even better than he was before, but once he was back to his hotel room, or apartment in Charlotte... He was just so sad and wanted nothing more than to be home with them.

Nathan looked over at her, shaking his head slightly, his voice becoming quieter, his eyes a shade darker. "What was he doing here, Haley?" He asked her, scowling slightly. "Did he force his way into here and take Jamie from you?"

"Nathan, no." Haley said, reaching up and brushing her fingers through his hair.

"You invited him in?" He asked her quickly, shaking his head. "What the hell, Haley?"

"I don't know why I did it." She said simply, rubbing his shoulder. "He just seemed... Weird."

"The man shot his own brother, Haley. And you let him into our house." He said quietly, looking down at Jamie. "Near our son." He grumbled, rolling his eyes. "Never mind."

Haley raised her eyebrows, holding up her hand. "No, no. Wait a minute." She said, looking at him. "Nathan, if I felt like Jamie was in any type of danger, there's no way in hell I would have ever let him in. So don't go there." She said, narrowing her eyes at him.

He glanced over at her, letting out a deep breath, standing up from off the bed. "I just need a minute. I love you, Haley. I'm happy to see you because I missed you so much, but after coming home to that... I need a minute." He said quietly, holding Jamie closely and walking out of the room.

xxxx

Haley stepped into the nursery twenty minutes later, finding Nathan still watching Jamie, but he was asleep now. She looked at him, letting out a deep breath.

"Hi." She said softly, sending him a small smile.

"Sorry." Nathan responded, shaking his head at himself. "I didn't mean to accuse you of anything."

"I know." She responded, walking over and pressing a kiss to the top of his head. "I know it must have been shocking for you to come home to him." She said, hugging his head to her, brushing her thumb over his cheek. "I just felt like I should let him inside for some reason, something was off about it. I don't know, maybe it's because we just had Jamie and I can't stand the thought of him ever shutting us out like you do to Dan." She said, looking down at their son.

"There's one big difference. I won't be shooting Lucas." Nathan grumbled, closing his eyes and holding Jamie tightly.

She brushed her fingers through Nathan's hair, nodding her head. "I told him that I don't think keeping him away from Jamie will stop him from trying to see him, so I'm leaving it up to you." She said, sighing softly.

"No." Nathan said simply, "I don't want to see him. I don't want you to see him, and I definitely don't want Jamie to see him." He said quickly, shaking his head. "I want him out of our lives."

Haley brushed her fingers down Jamie's cheek, letting out a deep breath. "Are you sure, Nathan?" She asked him softly.

He looked up at her, scowling. "What, do you think otherwise?" He asked her, sighing softly. "Come on, Haley."

"I don't know, Nathan. Something was just weird." She said, shrugging slightly.

Nathan stood up, pulling her up to her feet, before making her sit down on the chair, taking her seat on the arm, setting Jamie down in her arms. "I don't understand."

"I don't either, Nathan. I just have this feeling like... Maybe he's changed." Haley said softly, looking down at Jamie, resting her head against Nathan.

"You were closer to Keith than I was, Haley... How can you even say that?" He asked her, shaking his head quickly, brushing his fingers over her back.

"I don't know, Nathan. I just don't think that Keith would hold a grudge." She said, shrugging slightly. "I think that he would forgive him. If he'd lived."

"But he didn't, Haley!" He nearly shouted, standing up and looking down at her.

Haley jumped slightly, looking at him quickly, glancing down when Jamie startled awake and started crying. "Nice job, Nathan." She grumbled, beginning to rock him gently.

Nathan looked at her, letting out a deep breath. "Go, Haley." He said softly, reaching down and picking up Jamie. "Go get some rest."

She stood up slowly, "Come talk to me when you're ready to talk instead of argue." She said simply, shaking her head and walking out of the room.

Nathan opened his mouth to respond before she was gone. Great move, Nathan. Yell at the sleep-deprived girl that's been taking care of your son for the last two weeks. Wake up the sleeping baby. Smooth.

He held Jamie close to him until he stopped crying, keeping eye contact with him. "Don't look at me like that." He grumbled, shaking his head at his son. "I'm serious, Jamie. I didn't do anything. You don't even know, you're a baby." He said, letting out a deep breath. He sighed as his son blinked at him, "Okay, fine. I was being a jerk to her. But not on purpose. You just... It's complicated. I just want to protect you and her. He's not a good guy, Jamie." He grumbled, shifting him slightly. He sat down, leaning back against the chair. "Oh, so you already prefer her over me, huh?" He laughed, brushing his fingers over Jamie's head. "I'm just kidding. I'd prefer her over me too." Nathan sighed, glancing towards the door. "She's special, Jame. I shouldn't have gotten mad, you're right. You better not keep doing that. I'm supposed to teach you the lessons, not vice versa. You can't even talk, you're two weeks old. How are you already making me feel bad? Just like your mom. I can tell what she's thinking just by looking at her. I missed you, kid. But I also really missed her." He said to his son, standing up and walking out of the nursery quickly, and into their bedroom, finding Haley laying on the bed, her hand resting on her forehead and her eyes closed. He looked down at Jamie once again, setting him in the bassinet next to their bed, pushing it around the bed so it was closer to his side of the bed, before climbing onto the bed next to her, pressing a light kiss to the side of her head, slowly brushing his fingers up her arm.

She shifted slightly when she felt the bed dip down at his weight, blinking her eyes open and looking over at him. "Hi." She said softly.

"I'm sorry." He said quietly, pressing a brief kiss to her lips. "I'm an ass. You've been so... Perfect over these past couple weeks. I know I couldn't handle it all by myself. I had no reason to yell, and I'm sorry."

She smiled at him, resting her hand on his cheek. "You were shocked, Nathan. I don't blame you." She said quietly, kissing his cheek, moving closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder, draping her arm over his stomach, closing her eyes.

"I really wasn't expecting that." He said quietly, clearing his throat. "Or for you to suggest that maybe we let him spend time around Jamie. I don't know if I'm ready to spend time around him. He's bullied me my whole entire life, and-"

She brushed her fingers over his side, shaking her head. "I know, baby. I know." She said softly, turning her head and kissing his chest.

"But you're also the most rational person I know." He said simply, squeezing his eyes shut. "I don't know, Haley. If you think I should consider it, then I'll consider it. But if I say no, then it means I think I'm making the right decision, okay?"

She smiled, nuzzling her nose into his chest. "Okay." She said softly. "Lucas is engaged." She changed the subject, lifting up her head a bit, looking at him.

Nathan blinked, looking down at her. "What?" He asked her. "To who?"

"Peyton." She said, "I hadn't really heard from him since he left the hospital, and he called me today and told me. They were going to get married in Vegas, but Lucas thought she deserved a dream wedding." She said softly, shrugging her shoulders.

"Wow." Nathan said, staring up at the ceiling. "I hope everything works out for them. That's exciting." He said, smiling slightly.

"I know, I was surprised, but still excited for them." Haley hummed, shaking her head. "Crazy."

"Kind of tried to steal our move." He laughed, rubbing her shoulder and looking down at her. "Do you wish that?"

"Wish what?" She asked him, laying her head back down, curling up against him.

"That you had a dream wedding?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

She picked her head up once more, kissing him deeply, letting her eyes flutter shut, gripping his t-shirt lightly, before pulling away. "I had a dream wedding, Nathan. And I wouldn't trade it for anything."

"Good." He responded, holding onto her tightly. "I don't want to disappoint you."

"You don't disappoint me." She said quickly, resting her head bak down once again, closing her eyes and letting him overwhelm her. "I love you, Nathan. And I love talking to you, but I want you to lay here and hold me more than anything right now, because I need some sleep, and I get the best sleep in your arms."

He smiled, nodding his head. "I can definitely do that for you, Haley James. I love you so much, beautiful. Thank you for being an amazing wife and an amazing mother. You get all the rest you need."

Haley nodded her head, letting her hand slip under his shirt, pressing against his warm stomach, her fingernails gently scratching over his skin.

Nathan looked down at her, pressing a light kiss to the top of her head, before allowing himself to relax back against the pillow, his eye falling shut.


	47. Chapter 47

**Finding The Way Back**

 **I have no excuses, I regretfully say that I just have not been in love with this story like I used to be. I'm so, so, so sorry. I'm trying to make these last couple chapters good ones.**

 **Chapter 47**

Haley quickly climbed out from underneath the vanity when she heard the door open, clearing her throat and smoothing out her dress, looking at her husband as he pushed the stroller into the room.

Nathan blinked slowly, a small smirk on his face. "Uh, what are you doing?" He asked her curiously, laughing quietly.

"Nothing." She said slowly, tucking her hair behind her ear and shaking her head.

"Les Mis?" He asked her knowingly, laughing. "You nervous?" He hummed out, holding his arm out to her.

She rolled her eyes, moving to stand beneath his arm, letting her arm fall around his waist, pulling him into her side and resting her head against his shoulder. "Maybe a little." She said, glancing up at him. "This is my first performance since Jamie. Really my first public anything since Jamie."

He nodded, kissing the top of her head lightly, brushing his fingertips over her shoulder. "You're going to do great."

They'd decided against taking Jamie to a basketball game, until he was just a little older. They didn't want to expose him to all the people, and the germs, and the noise. But when Peyton threw out the idea of a concert, she couldn't pass it up. Thankfully, it was at Tric, and Nathan could hang out in the back room with Jamie where the music wouldn't be too loud.

Haley smiled up at him, kissing his cheek, walking over to the front of the stroller, carefully unbuckling their two month old son, lifting him up and grinning down at him. "Hi baby." She whispered to the smiling boy. "You're happy to see me, aren't you?"

Nathan let out a deep breath, leaning on the stroller. "You're going to turn him into a Mama's boy, Haley James." He said, shaking his head.

"Oh yeah, when his Dad is practically superman, I don't think he'll have a difficult time choosing a favorite." She responded, winking at him. "Oh, I'm going to miss you."

"You're only going to be on stage for for like an hour, babe. You don't need to miss me." Nathan responded sarcastically, chuckling quietly.

"Oh, Daddy is funny. He thought I was talking to him." She said in her 'baby' voice, shaking her head. "Doesn't he know that I never miss him?"

"Oh, you're the funny one." He grumbled, shaking his head. "Jamie is excited to spend time with me." He said, walking over to them, tickling the bottoms of Jamie's feet. "Check out his onesie."

Haley smiled slightly, unzipping the jacket that he was wear, her smile growing as she saw the 'Haley James Scott' onesie that he was wearing, glancing up at Nathan. "Where did you get this?"

"Brooke." He responded, brushing his hand over Jamie's head. "Frankly, I'm a little offended that this is the only Haley James Scott merchandise. Look at me." He said, unzipping his own jacket. "All I get to wear is a Haley James t-shirt."

"Oh shut up." Haley said, smacking him. "I've been a little busy with this one, haven't really had time to think about things like that." She said, kissing Jamie's head. "My precious little baby boy has been occupying all of my time." She cooed, glancing up at Nathan. "I'm keeping it as just Haley James so when I'm performing I can be a free woman."

"Yeah, whatever." He grumbled, kissing her forehead. He pulled his jacket off, tossing it onto the couch, pulling a silver marker out of his pocket. "Well, might as well get you to sign it." He said, taking the baby out of her arms, handing her the marker and turning around.

Haley laughed, looking at the black t-shirt that had all of her shows from her previous tour on the back, shaking her head. "What do you want me to say?"

"To my biggest fan, you rock! Haley James." Nathan said, shrugging his shoulders. "That's what you accidentally wrote last time I asked you to sign something."

"I did not." She responded, tapping the marker against his back. "I don't know what to say, Nathan. This is weird."

"Write something dirty." He said, smirking slightly and glancing over his shoulder at her.

"I'm not going to do that." She said, laughing. "I'll just sign my name."

"Ouch." He said, shaking his head. "You aren't allowed to just sign your name."

"That's what you did on my jersey!" She argued, shaking her head.

"Because I'm the type of guy that signs his name. You're the type of girl that writes heartfelt messages, everyone knows that." He laughed, flexing the muscles in his back. "That will make it easier for you to write. Chop, chop. You have a show that's starting soon."

She rolled her eyes, smoothing her hand over his muscular shoulders, shaking her head, writing 'Hot Baby Daddy' and drawing an arrow upwards, before signing her name next to it.

"Well that didn't feel very long and heartfelt." He said, shaking his head.

She laughed, pressing a kiss to the crook of his neck. "Sorry to disappoint. I don't have time to play your games."

"Ouch." He said, turning around. "Since I get to stay in here with Jimmy Jam tonight, and miss out on seeing you on stage..."

She laughed, kissing him softly. "Don't finish that sentence. You'll just have to wait and see."

"I really should've had my mom watch him." He groaned, looking at her. "You look so hot doing what you love."

She laughed, smoothing her hand over Jamie's head. "Down boy." She said, nodding at him.

A woman poked her head in, nodding at Haley.

"They're ready for you, Mrs. Scott." She said, offering the family a smile.

Haley nodded, letting out a deep breath. "Thank you." She said, taking one last glance in the mirror. "Wish me luck." She said, kissing Nathan, then Jamie.

"Good luck." Nathan called out, watching her retreat towards the door. "Hey Haley?"

She looked over her shoulder at him, smiling slightly.

"You're going to do great. I love you." He said, offering her a thumbs up.

"Thanks, baby." She said, letting out a deep breath, before stepping out of the room.

xxxx

"Okay, okay." Haley said, sitting down at the piano. "This last song isn't on my new album, and it's not recorded or anything. I wrote it after having my baby, Jamie, two months ago." She said, smiling at the crowd. "Him and Nathan are quickly occupying every part of my life. I know I've been MIA for a few months, but it was important to both of us that we kept this part of our life private, for many different reasons." She informed them, letting out a deep breath. "I really appreciate all of the patience everyone has had with us. So... This is the first time anyone besides my baby has heard this song, and I'd like to dedicate it to him and to my wonderful husband."

She let out a deep breath, raising her hands to the black and white keys of the piano, glancing out into the audience, a small smile forming on her face.

She'd missed this. The crowds, the fans. There was something truly special about playing in front of an audience, hearing the applause. All of these people were here to see her. It made her feel good. It made her feel like maybe she was helping them somehow.

But if she was being honest, the best audience was backstage, and she couldn't wait to go back and see them once again.

With the thought of returning to them, her smiled widened, and she shifted her gaze down to the keys, beginning to play.

Once the song was over, she said her good nights and her thanks, and then she all but bolted off the stage.

She could see Nathan's figure leaning against the door way, glancing over his shoulder, probably to make sure the cheering didn't wake up the baby asleep in the room.

Haley jumped to him, nearly knocking him over, letting out a deep breath, pressing her face into his neck.

"You did so well, baby." Nathan whispered to her, winding his arms around her quickly, spinning her around. "I missed seeing you on stage, or hearing you at least."

She closed her eyes tightly, smiling brightly at him. "I missed it too." She responded, raising her hands to his cheeks, pulling him down and kissing him quickly.

"Don't forget the encore." He said, nodding back out towards the stage.

"Oh, I won't." She responded, winking at him. She kissed him once more, letting out a deep breath. "I'll see you in a second." She informed him, stepping back, rushing back on stage at the sound of the cheers.

xxxx

Nathan let out a deep breath, setting the baby monitor on the bathroom counter, pushing his hands through his hair. Jamie was just in their bedroom, but he wasn't going to risk not hearing him if he started crying.

He reached over, turning on the shower water and checking the time on his phone. He'd been home for about a half an hour, and there had been no word from Haley.

Well... She'd told him she had a few things to do before she could come home, and she'd be home about forty minutes after him and Jamie returned.

He let out a slow, deep breath, quickly undressing and getting under the hot water, closing his eyes tightly, letting the stress of the day escape him.

It wasn't long until her felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist, and light kisses peppered over his back.

"Hey handsome." Haley whispered behind him, resting her forehead against his shoulder, smiling slightly.

"Hi baby." He responded, glancing over his shoulder at her. "You did so amazing tonight, Haley James."

"Thank you." She whispered, lifting her chin and letting it rest awkwardly on his shoulder, smiling at him. "And thank you for playing super dad tonight."

"I'm super dad every night." He assured her, letting out a deep breath.

She hugged him tightly against her, closing her eyes. "So, how was it today?" She asked him quietly.

"Confusing." He mumbled, letting out a small sigh.

"That's expected." She said simply, shrugging her shoulders. "I mean, you went to lunch with your father, who murdered your uncle."

"Yeah." He said, pushing his hand through his hair, leaning back against her lightly.

She was quiet for a moment, pressing a small kiss against his shoulder. "Are you going to tell me what you said to him?"

He parted from her, only to turn around so he was facing her, looking down at her. He smiled slightly, brushing his thumb over her cheek. "If you want."

She nodded her head, raising her hand up and grabbing his forearm. "Yeah." She responded, smiling at him.

"I told him that I couldn't do it right now. He's so innocent, Haley... I don't want him exposed to my father." He said softly, letting out a deep breath.

Haley nodded her head, staring up at him, frowning when a scowl formed on his face. "What?"

"Then he told me that he's dying." He said quietly, shaking his head.

Haley raised her eyebrows in surprise, studying his features. "Really?" She asked him softly.

"I don't know. That's what he said." He responded, shrugging slightly. "Now I'm so confused, Haley. If he's really dying, should we let him into Jamie's life? Should we say good riddance?"

She stroked her fingers up and down his forearm, biting her lip lightly.

"Should I feel relieved or should I be upset that my dad is dying?" He asked her, squeezing his eyes shut.

Haley sent him a small smile, stepping forward and pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Hey." She said softly, sliding her hand up his arm, letting it rest on his chest. "You don't have to do, or feel anything you don't want to." She reminded him, nodding her head. "I told you, Nathan, I'm letting you take the lead on this one. I know you're conflicted, but I'm standing with you, okay?"

"I know, Hales." He said, blinking his eyes open and smiling at her. "I feel like I need more time, you know? But who knows how much time he has left? He needs a heart transplant, I guess. So he might make it, if a heart is available to him."

"Did you tell Lucas?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows, clearing her throat.

"Not yet." He said, sighing softly.

"Maybe that will make you feel better." She said, shrugging her shoulders, brushing her finger along his collarbone.

He nodded, before looking at her and smirking slightly. "Why don't we talk about this later, hm?" He suggested, backing her up into the shower wall, resting his forehead on hers. "Jamie is asleep, I'm leaving tomorrow. This is definitely a conversation that can wait."

She laughed, sliding her arms around his waist, pulling him closer to her, "Like I said, baby... I'm following your lead."

xxxx

"You did so amazing tonight." Nathan whispered, stroking her shoulder lightly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"You weren't so bad yourself." She said, lifting her head up from off his chest, smiling at him.

"Very funny. I meant on stage, though the encore to the encore wasn't so bad either." He laughed, rolling his eyes, shaking his head.

"Thanks, honey." She responded, laying her head back down and letting out a deep breath.

"I remember the first time you sang for me." He informed her, a smile forming on his face. "Every detail."

"Don't tell me about it." She groaned, pressing her face into his chest, place a delicate kiss onto his skin.

"We were in Karen's Cafe and I was having a bad day, and you told me that if I thought of something to make me feel better, to let you know." He said, lightly brushing his hand down her back, pulling her closer to him. "And all I had to do was look at the piano and you knew what I was thinking. And it was perfect." He said, kissing her head again.

"That was the first time I'd ever sang for anyone." She hummed, letting out a deep breath. "And I really didn't want to do it, but you said it would make you feel better. How could I say no to a face like this?" She laughed, lifting her head up and pinching his chin. "Impossible."

"I know. And I was amazed, Haley James. Amazed. You're clumsy as hell but you know your way around a piano, that's for sure." He chuckled, tilting his head forward, kissing her lightly. "Everything about you amazed me."

"Stop it." She laughed, rolling her eyes. "I wasn't that amazing. You seem to remember me as if I walked on water or something."

He brushed his fingers through her still damp hair, nodding his head. "I love you now, and I loved you then. You still do amaze me, every day." He informed her, "You'll amaze me when I'm forty, when I'm sixty, when I'm eighty. You'll never stop amazing me, I know it. I still feel the same rush listening to you, baby." He assured her, kissing her head. "This voice, these eyes, these lips, this nose." He hummed, tapping her nose. "This body." He said, brushing his hand over her back again. "Your personality, your grace, natural beauty, maternal instinct. All of it amazes me." He assured her, nodding his head quickly.

She smiled at him, letting out a deep breath, kissing his chest, before raising her head up and kissing him deeply.

"Thank you, Nathan." She whispered, nodding at him.

"You are so very welcome, Haley." He hummed, tapping her shoulder lightly. "I don't want to leave you tomorrow."

"Trust me, baby. I don't want you to leave." She laughed, letting out a sigh. "I like it when you're home. I feel spoiled." She said, nuzzling her nose against his.

"Well then I'll just have to hurry back." He responded, smiling at her.

"Yeah, you better." She said, sitting up slowly. She pushed her hand through her hair, climbing out of bed, walking to the closet, beginning to get dressed slowly.

"Don't get dressed." He groaned, shaking his head and eyeing her.

She laughed, looking at him, tossing some clothes of his own at him. "Come on, I want to cuddle with Jamie for a little while."

He smiled at her, deciding that was a good enough answer, standing up slowly, pulling the clothes she'd thrown at him on quickly. He walked over to the bassinet in their room, picking up the two month old carefully, cradling him close.

Haley smiled slightly as she watched them, making her way over to the bed, sitting down slowly.

Once her husband joined her with their son, she lightly brushed her fingers over Jamie's hair, letting out a deep breath.

"He's going to miss you." She assured Nathan, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"I'm going to miss him. I'm already counting down the days until I get to be home again." He said, winking at her. "Jamie loved hearing his mom sing tonight." He informed her, smiling. "He couldn't stop grinning."

"That's just what you do to him, you make him smile. He likes you." She said, kissing Jamie's head.

"No, baby, it was totally you." He assured her, letting out a deep breath, looking down at the sleeping baby in his arms. "I can't wait to see what he grows up to be."

"No matter what he grows up to he, he'll be great. Just like you." Haley said quietly, letting out a deep breath, resting her head on Nathan's shoulder.

"I don't want to sound selfish, but I really wish you could stay." She said, laughing quietly.

"Me too." He sighed, brushing his finger down Jamie's cheek. "He's getting so big." He complained, shaking his head. "It's not fair."

"The sooner you can start teaching him to play basketball." She laughed, nudging him lightly. "I have a feeling he's going to love it, I know you won't force it on him, but he's going to love it."

"I hope all our kids love it. If not... That's okay." He said simply, shrugging his shoulders.

Haley bit her lip, shifting her gaze from Jamie, to Nathan. "What are you going to do about Dan?" She asked him cautiously.

Nathan looked down at Jamie, sighing softly. "I always hoped that Dan would be a better grandpa than he was a father. I thought that maybe a kid that he wasn't the boss of would mellow him out, y'know?" He said, glancing over at her. "I don't know what to do, Hales. Can't you just tell me?"

"He's a baby." Haley said simply, "And I hate to say it, but if Dan dies soon... He'll still be a baby. Whatever you decide, he may not even remember."

"Yeah, but do I want Dan to die with happy memories of our baby?" He asked her, running a frustrated hand through his hair. "Your parents love him, my mom loves him. Should I let my dad love him, Haley?"

Haley smoothed her hand over hair, fixing the spots that he just messed up. "You know, one of the reasons I love you is because you're so conflicted over this. You don't have to give your father the time of day, Nathan. But you went to lunch with him today, and you're trying to see the good in him. The question is, can you find it?"

"He seemed gentle when he asked me about Jamie, Hales. Like he didn't want to cross a line, but he wanted to know as much as I would give him." He sighed softly, leaning back.

Haley kissed his cheek lightly, letting out a deep breath. "I love you, Nathan."

"I love you too, Haley." He said, looking over at her. "And I love Jamie. That's one of the reasons this is so hard. Because I love you both so much, I don't want you to get hurt. I don't trust him."

"Well, maybe we can talk about going to the park or something once you get back. Or we can wait awhile." She said simply, shrugging.

"Okay." He sighed, cradling Jamie closer to him. "Maybe. We'll talk about it. Lucas won't like it."

"Yeah, well, Jamie isn't his kid." Haley said simply, kissing Nathan briefly.

"Valid point." Nathan said, letting out a deep breath. He held Jamie out so Haley could kiss his head, standing up slowly, moving back over to rest him in his crib. "Keep sleeping tight, little man." He said, smiling down at him. He let out a deep breath, looking over at Haley. "Ready for bed?"

She stood up, walking over to him quickly, wrapping her arms around him. "If I say no, will you whisk me away to the guest room?"

"What, you don't want to get it on with our two month old in the room?" He asked her, laughing.

"Not particularly, no." She laughed, hugging him close to her, kissing his chest lightly. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to breath him in. "We're going to be okay, Nathan. As long as we have each other, alright?"

He smiled, kissing her head lightly, nodding his head. "I know. The times I've been most unstable are when I don't have you guiding me along. You're my saving grace, Haley James."

She rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "Okay, buddy. You've worn me down. I don't know if it's my hormones still, or the fact that I'm going to miss you so much. Let me grab the baby monitor, and meet you in the guest room. I don't know how many encores you need, but I'm willing." She laughed, pushing on his chest lightly. "You're so sexy when you make me seem like I have a good head on my shoulders."

He laughed, grabbing onto her hand, shaking his head. "You do, angel." He assured her, kissing her forehead. He crossed his arms, waiting for her to grab the monitor, before scooping her up, carrying her bridal style out of the room.

"Nathan!" Haley laughed out, covering her mouth to muffle herself out.

Nathan laughed quietly, heading to the guest room, closing the door quietly behind them.


	48. Chapter 48

**I'm going to spare you the long, drawn out apology for why I haven't updated this story and just say that I'm so sorry! I think there are only going to be two, maybe three more chapters.**

 **Chapter 48**

"This is what I needed..." Haley laughed, lifting her sunglasses up on her forehead, looking to one side where Peyton was laying, and then at Brooke on the other.

"This is what we all needed. Men can be so annoying, I need a break," Brooke laughed, dipping one of her legs off the chair she was laying on, brushing her toes over the sand.

"Agreed. Lucas is driving me nuts," Peyton laughed, looking down at the engagement ring on her finger, twisting it around.

"Really, it just feels nice that I don't have to worry about a crying baby the whole weekend," Haley hummed, dropping her glasses back over her eyes. "Even Jamie gets annoyed of him."

Brooke and Peyton laughed, looking over at Haley.

"I've always thought Nathan was a bit of a cry baby," Peyton hummed, shaking her head and smiling.

"I'm just kidding," Haley laughed, looking over at her. "I miss both of them, but I slept until nine thirty this morning, which I never get to do anymore. One of them is always waking me up."

"You now have three Scott men dependent on your approval. Big load to carry," Brooke laughed, looking at her. "I miss Jamie. Not so much Lucas or Nathan. But I guess I miss Julian too..."

"Julian has texted you eighty times today telling you how much he misses you, B. Davis. None of this 'oh I guess I miss him' crap," Peyton laughed, smiling over at her.

"Ah, to be young and in love..." Haley joked, stretching her legs.

"Oh, lord, Hales... Don't act like you've been married for fifty years..." Brooke groaned, rolling her eyes, reaching over and smacking her arm.

"My husband texts me and asks me if I know where his favorite pair of black Nike socks are. I'm in a different city, and that's all he has to say to me. How the hell should I know where they are?" Haley laughed, shaking her head, humming softly.

"Did he find them?" Brooke asked her, raising her eyebrows and lifting her sunglasses.

"Okay, maybe they were exactly where I told him to check," Haley responded, grabbing the sunscreen bottle out of her bag, applying more of it to her legs. "I even think he was the one that folded the laundry last, so it's weird that I knew and he didn't."

"Maybe you have been married for eighty years," Peyton joked, looking over. "In another life, of course."

"Well, Tutor Mom, you just keep on enjoying your vacation. Honestly, we weren't counting on you coming, where The Hornets blew it in the playoffs last week, we thought you'd still be consoling your husband's broken heart," Brooke hummed, looking over at her.

"I wasn't going to, but as soon as he saw Jamie, it was water under the bridge. He insisted I go with you guys, said I need a vacation," She hummed out, pushing her fingers through her hair.

"You do, get out of the mom brain and into the Rockstar Haley James mind set again," Peyton hummed, leaning back and letting out a deep breath.

"They're starting to go hand in hand," Haley said, shaking her head and looking over at her. "I don't know if I'll ever be out of the mom brain again. I think about Jamie like every five seconds."

"For once, maybe we'll get some responsible parents in Tree Hill," Brooke hummed, taking a sip from the water bottle that was rested on the ground next to her.

"I'm already impressed with Nathan, honestly, his parents definitely screwed him over, but he's a great dad," Peyton hummed, nodding her head. "He probably owes that to me, of course, you know with the year or so that we dated... I turned him into an excellent guy," She joked, laughing quietly.

"Oh yeah? Breaking up with him to let him have slutty one night stands, then taking him back right after really turned him into a champ," Brooke hummed, laughing.

"Hey, I wouldn't be talking, you were one of those slutty one night stands," Haley said, pulling her hair up into a messy bun on top of her head.

"Haley James! Feisty," Brooke laughed, reaching over and shoving on Haley's arm. "I'd like to leave that in the past. No need to bring up my mistakes, even if they do involve your husband."

"Damn, she burned you," Peyton laughed, shaking her head. "I'm just kidding, anyways. We all know who made him a good guy... Lucas, for sure."

"Oh, Lucas was too busy cheating on me with you to fix him up," Brooke grumbled, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Stop it," Peyton groaned, looking over at her. "I'll beat your ass, Brooke."

"Oh, boy... We are not getting into this again," Haley laughed, looking between them. "Nathan made himself a good guy, I was just there to help guide him along."

"Awfully confident," Peyton laughed, crossing her arms and leaning back into her chair.

"She has every right to be, she made him into mister perfect... Besides when he tried to sleep with her sister after they broke up, of course," Brooke hummed, grabbing onto Haley's wrist when she moved to smack her. "Kidding, kidding..."

"I'm seriously going to have to watch you two when you're around my son, aren't I? You're going to tell him all kinds of stories," Haley groaned, shaking her head.

"Hey, I have the best stories. I've probably seen your wildest side. It wasn't super wild, but I've seen you on tour, drinking, flirting, you know how it was..." Peyton said, smirking slightly.

"Oh! Do tell," Brooke said, clapping her hands together, sitting up and looking over.

"Haley James knocks them back like a champ," Peyton hummed, looking at Haley. "And she breaks hearts. Never once did I see her go home with a guy, or bring a guy with her, but every guy thought they had the chance to."

"That is not true!" Haley said, shaking her head quickly. "I was never super flirty."

"Yes you were!" Peyton laughed, poking her arm. "Chris Keller thought you were totally into him for weeks after you met him."

"He thinks anything that breathes is into him," Haley pointed out, shaking her head.

"Wait, wait... I kind of get it. Remember one of your shows in New York? When we went and had drinks afterwards? I remember you must've been sent a dozen drinks and each person you would smile and bat your eyelashes at them to say thank you!" Brooke informed her, laughing quietly. "Everyone thinks Nathan is the flirt in your relationship."

"Wait just a minute, I am not flirty," Haley argued, rolling her eyes.

"Everyone flirts, Haley," Brooke reminded her, gesturing around. "Show off your boobs and get us some free drinks."

Haley groaned, shaking her head, "No way, Brooke. You show off your boobs."

"Yours are better than mine," Brooke pointed out, shrugging her shoulders.

"Would you two quit arguing? You both look hot," Peyton laughed, leaning back and looking over at them.

"She's right," Brooke hummed, fiddling with her swimsuit strap. "We'd get even more drinks if we both loosened our tops a little bit."

"I'll pass," Haley laughed, rolling her eyes and looking ahead at the ocean.

"No fun," Brooke fake pouted, crossing her arms and smiling over at them.

"Brooke, you do realize that you own a multimillion dollar company. You don't need free drinks, get off your ass and get one," Peyton laughed, rolling her eyes and smiling over at her.

Brooke let out an overexaggerated sigh, jumping up to her feet slowly, heading down the beach towards the bar that was not too far off.

Haley looked over at Peyton, raising his eyebrows and lifting up her glasses. "Enjoying being engaged?"

"Oh, definitely. I mean, it's been a few months already, but I'm still loving it. It just feels right. Lucas and I have danced around each other for years, but now we're finally on track..."

"I'm glad that you two figured it out, because I could never tell whether I was supposed to ask you about him or not," Haley laughed, shrugging her shoulders. "Has he told Lindsey?"

"Yes," Peyton said, sighing softly. "For some reason, I never really felt guilty for kissing him when they were together. Maybe it's because I just felt like we belong together, which sounds horrible. But now someone mentions her name and it's like a wave of guilt washes over me."

"I mean, he clearly wanted you too, Peyton. He said your name at their wedding, plus it's not like it doesn't take two to tango," Haley pointed out, shaking her head. "I don't think it was the right way to do it, but you already know that."

"Believe me, you've told me thousands of times," Peyton laughed, glancing over at Brooke, who was still ordering drinks. "So... I heard that Dan has been bugging you guys a little bit."

"Ugh," Haley groaned, letting her sunglasses take their place back over her eyes. "That's one of the reasons I needed this little weekend getaway. It stresses me out."

"He can't play nice after all these years, can he?" Peyton asked her, raising her eyebrows and frowning.

"I don't know. He's doing it because he wants to spend time with Jamie. I just don't get it, really. Nathan is so against it, but he won't give Dan a firm no. But he won't let me talk to him either," Haley sighed, rolling her eyes.

"That's frustrating," Peyton frowned, shaking her head. "I think he's tried to talk to Lucas too, but Lucas won't give him a second of his time so he's given up."

"I just wish that none of this would have happened. Why did these two get stuck with an asshole father who also murdered his own brother out of jealousy and spite?" Haley bit out, crossing her arms.

"No kidding," Peyton said, sighing and looking over at her. "What does he do?"

"He calls the house, and if it's me that answers, he hangs up, but if it's Nathan, they talk for a minute, before Nathan hangs up and then he's super grumpy," Haley said, shaking her head. "I just need him to tell Dan to stay the hell away from us again, but he hasn't."

"You don't think he wants Dan in his life, do you?" Peyton asked her quietly, almost in a whisper.

"No, I don't... I just think he feels guilty because Dan probably won't live another six months, and all he wants before he dies is to see Jamie," Haley sighed, shaking her head.

"Yeah, well all Keith wanted before he died was to marry Karen, adopt Lucas and meet his daughter, and he didn't even know about her at the time," Peyton pointed out, shrugging. "I just don't think he deserves it."

"That's what Lucas says," Haley nodded, clearing her throat. "We'll have to see though. I'm letting Nathan take the reigns on this one, but if I don't like the way things are going, and my baby is involved, I'm sure as hell going to step up."

"Atta girl," Peyton laughed, looking up when Brooke walked over, holding three brightly colored mixed drinks. "Perfect timing, Brooke."

"I do what I can," Brooke laughed, handing one to Peyton, then to Haley, before returning to her seat. She held her glass out over Haley, glancing at her two friends. "I'm proposing a toast, so put your glasses in."

"Oh, lord. This is going to be cheesy, isn't it?" Peyton groaned, touching her glass to Brooke's.

Haley followed suit, laughing when Brooke shushed Peyton.

"To our friendship, which has stuck through it all. To Peyton, who is happily engaged, and to Haley who is married with a gorgeous, gorgeous baby boy who also happens to be my god son, and to me, who runs a successful company and who has finally found a man that who I'm in love with, and treats me like he loves me twenty-four seven," Brooke said, smiling over at them. "Not as bad as you thought, hm?"

Haley laughed, shaking her head and taking a sip out of the straw, lifting the small umbrella out of the drink, setting it to the side. "Well said, Brooke."

"Thank you, Hales," Brooke hummed, leaning back in her seat. "Now, let's talk about what we're going to do later tonight."

xxxx

"Okay, I'm really starting to miss my husband," Haley whined, leaning into Brooke's side and shaking her head, sighing softly. "I just don't feel like the clubbing scene is for me anymore."

"Oh, hell, Haley... You're like twenty-five or whatever, and you had like two drinks. Calm yourself, you can't be a drunk crying mess already," Peyton laughed, shaking her head.

"I say we just walk instead of keep waiting for Brooke's über she called. They're taking forever," Haley groaned, rubbing her forehead.

"This is your bachelorette party, Haley. You never got one, I ordered a bus full of strippers," Brooke informed her, nudging her elbow into her side. "Surprise?"

"I know that you're joking. I do not want this to be deemed my bachelorette party," Haley grumbled, shaking her head.

"I should've done that though, that would've been fun," Brooke laughed, rubbing her shoulders. "It's like ten o'clock, there's no way Nathan is even awake."

"I bet Jamie is," Haley said, brushing her fingers through her hair. "I miss Jamie too. I love the baby-smell. I should've brought one of his blankets with me."

"Now I'm starting to miss Julian. When did girls-weekend become such a drag?" Brooke pouted, looking at Peyton.

"You know, clubs aren't that fun anyways. Plus, the music wasn't that great. Let's just start walking, your car is taking too long," Peyton sighed, looking at the two of them. "Miss Two Drinks, can you make it?"

"Mrs. Two Drinks," Haley corrected her, grinning at her. "I'm not drunk, I'm just needy," She sighed, rubbing her neck.

"Oh, and what are you and Nathan going to do on the phone?" Brooke teased her, raising her eyebrows and smirking.

"Talk about how sexy it is to have all of a baby's bodily fluids on you within the first eight minutes of him waking up," Haley said, shaking her head and laughing.

"Some literal dirty talk, huh?" Peyton laughed, winking at her and shaking her head.

"Get it, girl..." Brooke laughed, rolling her eyes. "I credit myself for that baby, you know..."

"Interesting, I don't remember you being there," Haley pointed out, raising her eyebrows.

"It was at my auction that you bid a ridiculous amount for someone you could've had for free, and then you became sex buddies quickly, started dating, got engaged and married all in what, one day? And now you have a cute little angel boy," Brooke hummed, nodding at her. "And to think, it was me that invited both of you to the auction."

"Oh, hell..." Peyton laughed, rolling her eyes and throwing her arm around Brooke's neck.

"Okay, Brooke... You can be one-third of Jamie's parent," Haley joked, laughing and smiling at her.

"I'll stick with my godmother status for a little bit longer, but I might swoop in and claim my parenting rights at any time," Brooke joked, smiling in return.

"Now, who would've thought that we could all have so much fun together without getting drunk?" Peyton laughed, grinning past Brooke at Haley.

"Next time, we should probably get a car though," Brooke informed them, letting out a deep breath. "Now that I think about it, walking wasn't the best idea. No one is out here, but there could've been creeps, and Peyton knows her self defense, but I'd just have to throw myself over Baby Mama and shield her so no one could harm her, and abandon Peyton."

"Aw, Brooke..." Haley laughed, shaking her head and hugging her from the side. "I have a mean bitch slap, maybe that would prove useful?"

"Not to mention you two are big public figures and if someone walked past and figured out who you were, the whole world would know in seconds. Lucky me, I have my following, but I'm mostly a background figure," Peyton laughed, smiling over at them.

"That's true," Brooke said, tapping her chin. She looked up when they finally reached the hotel, looking between Peyton and Haley. "Look, we made it safely."

"Oh, phew. It was touch and go there for awhile, but all is well," Haley laughed, pulling her cell phone out of her pocket and tapping on the screen, frowning slightly.

"What's wrong? Boytoy hasn't called you yet?" Brooke asked her, raising her eyebrows.

"No, I haven't really talked to him all day. I mean, we've had a couple little text conversations, asking how things were going. And we talked on the phone for like ten minutes after lunch, but besides that... I just miss him," Haley sighed, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I'm just going to fall asleep talking to him."

"Glad we opted to each get our own rooms, because I'm hitting the hay as soon as I lay down," Peyton laughed, walking into the hotel.

"Not me, I'm going to call my man for a late night chat as well, probably a very different one from Haley's if you catch my drift," Brooke hummed, winking at them.

"You really can't even go a weekend, can you?" Peyton laughed, rolling her eyes.

"Hey! I have to head back to New York after this!" Brooke pouted, shaking her head. "And Julian is going to fly off soon to start filming a movie in New Zealand, and I'm going to miss him."

"Why didn't you stay home, Brooke?" Haley asked her, stepping into the elevator and shaking her head.

"I don't want to miss out on spending time with my girls either! We never do anything fun anymore," Brooke pouted, shrugging. "We need to make it a tradition."

"Yeah, every time Nathan choked in the play offs, we come here," Peyton joked, smirking over at Haley.

"Watch it, Sawyer," Haley said, shaking her head and crossing her arms.

"I'm only teasing, Hales," Peyton laughed, shrugging her shoulders. "I think Nathan played very well, and the Hornets gave it their all."

"That's right," Haley said, nodding at her.

"Haley James, the biggest basketball fan in the world," Brooke laughed, rolling her eyes. "They had a few too many turnovers, if you ask me."

"Hush," Haley said, covering Brooke's mouth. "My husband is a basketball god, and I won't accept any answer but that."

"Touchy," Peyton teased her, looking over when the elevator doors opened.

"Nathan played well enough," Brooke joked, poking Haley's side. "Relax and don't get bitchy, I'm just teasing you."

"I know, but I'm protective of my men," Haley laughed, walking to her hotel room, which was across the hall from both Peyton and Brooke's. "I will see you two in the morning."

"Don't come into our rooms and wake us up at seven like you did yesterday. I totally regret giving you a key card to my room," Brooke pouted, laughing and shaking her head.

"No kidding," Peyton said, resting her hand on the door handle. "Brooke, you better keep it down."

"Oh, shut it, P. Sawyer," Brooke laughed, pushing open her door. "Goodnight, ladies..."

"Goodnight, Brooke, night Peyton," Haley hummed, stepping into her hotel room.

Once she changed clothes, she picked up her phone to call Nathan, when it started vibrating in her hand, his name and picture flashing on her screen.

She quickly swiped to answer, holding it to her ear, a grin forming in her face. "Hey, you... I was just about to call you."

"Hi, Haley," He answered quickly, clearing his throat.

"What's wrong?" She asked him, frowning and shaking her head.

"I don't have a lot of time to talk," Nathan said, letting out a deep sigh.

"Nathan..." Haley trailed off, frowning. "Tell me what's going on."

Nathan groaned, staying quiet for a moment, before he finally answered her.

"Dan had a heart attack, he's in the hospital."


	49. Chapter 49

Surprise! An update on this story... I'm thinking only one more chapter and an epilogue left. Thank you for all your patience, and for everyone that has taken the time to read this, and help me grow.

P.S. I'm not super great with medical stuff, I pretty much just know what I've seen on TV, and even then I don't watch medical shows that often. I'm sorry if any of this is inaccurate.

Finding The Way Back.

Chapter 49

Nathan ran his hands through his hair, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees as he waited.

A heart attack.

How the hell was he supposed to feel in this situation? His murderer of a father was dying. Things were not looking great.

He looked around the waiting room and blew out another deep breath. He was alone. His mom had been here for a little while to sit with him, but she'd gone home.

Lucas gave him a very disapproving look when he dropped Jamie off, but didn't say anything about it.

Why was it that everyone else had no issues with abandoning Dan, but for some damn reason, he couldn't let himself go home.

His mom had told him to go home. Even offered to stick around for a little while after he left, just in case there was any news, but he'd insisted on staying.

He looked down at the lukewarm coffee on the table next to him that he had hardly touched.

Haley was on her way though, she'd help him figure out what to do.

There had been no news on Dan for awhile. He'd fallen asleep for about an hour after talking with Haley, but it was a very restless sleep that actually left him feeling more exhausted than before.

He let out a frustrated sigh, slumping back in his seat.

Damn this whole situation. He couldn't seem to make up his mind. His brain hated Dan. Wanted to stand up, walk out, and not care about the end result.

But that would make Nathan just like him.

Dan had done some pretty terrible things, but at the end of the day... He was still his father.

No matter how much his brain told him to leave, his heart was thinking otherwise. His guilty conscience was making him stay.

He could've screamed right there in the hospital. Maybe he would have, had it not been nearing six in the morning.

The clock on the wall was too loud. It reminded him of how much time had really passed.

Haley should be here soon, at least. Hopefully within minutes, because he wasn't sure how much longer he could go being alone.

Sure enough, it was not long before Haley came rushing through the doors, letting out a sigh of relief as she saw Nathan, staring off into blank space.

She hurried over to him, calling his name quietly.

Nathan stood to his feet quickly, meeting her and wrapping his arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug.

Haley threw her arms around his neck, breathing in a slow, deep breath. "Are you okay?" She asked him quietly.

"I am now," He replied, pressing a kiss to her head, looking down at her. "I'm sorry for ruining your girls weekend."

"No, no," Haley said quickly, standing on her toes and kissing him briefly. "You didn't ruin anything."

He offered her a small smile, raising his hand up and tucking her hair behind her ear, gesturing for her to sit down.

Haley grabbed onto his hand, pressing a kiss to his knuckles, taking a seat and pulling him down in the chair next to her.

"How's he doing?" She asked after a few moments, raising her eyebrows.

"I'm not sure," He replied, squeezing her hand lightly. He looked over and her, leaning back against his chair and sighing.

Haley nodded slowly, brushing her thumb along his hand, leaning over and kissing his cheek. "Can I get you anything?"

"No, I'm alright," He said, smiling at her. "Tell me about your weekend, we didn't get to talk much on the phone."

Haley stood up, looking around and pulling him back up to his feet. "Let's go for a walk," She said softly, nodding at him. "We can watch the sunrise, it's pretty warm outside. We won't be gone too long, I promise."

Nathan nodded slowly, rubbing at his eyes. He picked up the coffee cup he'd abandoned earlier, throwing it in the trash, and letting her lead him outside.

"I'm okay, Haley," He confirmed, nodding at her, interlocking their fingers.

"It's okay not to be, honey," She told him, squeezing his hand. "But I can tell you about my weekend until you're ready to talk about it."

Nathan cleared his throat, nodding at her. "Let's hear it," He said, offering her a small smile.

"I'm sure you can imagine how it went. Brooke and Peyton are a blast," She laughed, swinging their arms lightly. "They fight, they laugh, they get confused as a couple every once in awhile, and that's just all within the first hour or so."

Nathan laughed, nodding at her. "That sounds a lot like my high school experience before I met you," He said, smiling at her. "I used to get so annoyed at Brooke because of how much time she spent with Peyton," He chuckled, raising her hand and kissing her knuckles. "Now I can't imagine my life without her, y'know? It sounds weird to say that. Who would've thought that Brooke Davis would be the godmother to my child. The more responsible godparent, I might add. She doesn't disappear for weeks and get engaged without telling anyone."

"Hm, isn't that how we spent the first two months of our married life?" Haley responded, raising her eyebrows at him, bumping into his side lightly.

"Touché," He replied, rolling his eyes and smiling down at her. "We're going to have to remember that when we make our will. Leave the kids to Brooke, not Lucas."

"A little bit of a dark subject," Haley commented, dropping his hand, linking her arm through his and gripping his bicep.

"Yeah, well you never know what's going to happen," He mumbled, looking down and sighing softly. "Tell me more."

"We really just laid around on the beach, if you can't tell by how tan I've gotten after being pretty much stuck inside with a baby for a little while," She laughed, resting her head against his shoulder.

"I did notice," He responded, nodding down at her. "And you haven't been cooped up inside."

"Well, I haven't really had the chance to lay on the beach," She hummed out, shrugging her shoulders. "I have to show off all the hard work I've put in to getting back in shape after having a baby. You shouldn't be the only one that gets to check it out."

"Very funny," Nathan responded, shaking his head. "I can't wait to see just how tan you've actually gotten," He said, kissing her head lightly.

"In good time," She said, squeezing his arm lightly. "Brooke also said that we owe her because she's the reason we have Jamie."

"Is that right?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows and laughing. "And what does she mean by that?"

"She's the one that auctioned you off," She said, nodding her head. "So in some ways, she's right."

"No way. She auctioned me off against my will. You're the one that bought me. We'd already ran into each other, who's to say that I wouldn't have asked you out myself?" He asked her, laughing quietly.

"You wouldn't have asked me out," She laughed, shaking her head. "I know you, and you would've chickened out. Had I been some other woman, you would've had no problem. But since it was me, you wouldn't have been able to do it."

"You're probably right. I guess we do owe Brooke a little," He laughed, letting out a deep breath. "No unwanted douchebags trying to paw at your this weekend, I hope?"

"Nope," She replied, shaking her head. "Fortunately, I was able to just have a fun weekend with Brooke and Peyton."

"I'm glad," He said softly, gesturing to a bench that they'd reached, taking a seat and pulling her down next to him.

"The sun's about to rise," Haley commented, scooting close to him.

"Yeah," He sighed, looking off at the sunset, rubbing his neck. "I don't know what to do, Hales."

"Do you mind if I have some input?" Haley asked him, raising her eyebrows. She shifted so that she was facing him, resting her hand on the back of his neck.

"Please," He begged, looking at her quickly and nodding.

"He did a horrible thing, something that he doesn't deserve to be forgiven for, Nathan," She said, playing with the short hairs on the back of his neck. "But, he's your father. You have good memories with him, despite everything he's done. It's alright to be sad, Nathan. It's alright to want to see him. But don't do something you're going to regret. If you're going to regret seeing him, then let's just go home."

"Who even knows if I'll see him again, Hales? He could be dead right now, for all I know," He said quickly, shrugging his shoulders.

"Then you can say your final goodbyes, Nathan. He's still your father. Lucas doesn't have to here, Dan was never a father to him. Dan taught you to play the game that you love. He, in his own twisted way, thought he was supporting you. He wasn't always so terrible, Nathan. And you know that," She said softly, touching her nose to his cheek, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm not saying you have to go in there and tell him you love him, or that you forgive him. But I'm saying that you're still here for a reason, and you've been sitting here all night for a reason."

Nathan weighed her words in his mind for a moment, letting out a sigh. "I think you're right, Hales..." He said softly, resting his hand on her leg.

"I've watched you suffer since he showed up again, Nathan. It's eating you up, and something needs to change," She said, nodding at him, brushing her fingers through his hair. "I love you, Nathan. You're so strong."

"I'm not strong, Hales. You're strong, and you hold me up to make me look strong," He said, leaning forward and kissing her softly.

Haley raised her other hand up to grip his face with both hands, pulling him closer to her. After a moment, she pulled back and smiled at him, brushing her thumb lightly along his cheekbone. "So, I'm going to ask you again, and I want the truth. Are you alright?"

"I really am now," He said, squeezing her leg and smiling slightly. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," She said, scooting closer to him, shifting herself once again so that she could rest her head on his shoulder, staring at the sunrise.

"What are we going to do about Jamie?" He asked her quietly, resting his head on hers. "If he's dying."

"I fully believe that you'll know what to do when the time comes," Haley said softly, stroking his chest lightly.

He nodded his head in response, staying quiet.

After a few more minutes of sitting there watching the sunrise, Haley stood up slowly, grabbing onto Nathan's hand again. "Let's go back in."

"Okay," He said, standing up and letting out a deep breath. He let go over her hand, dropping his arm around her shoulder, leading her back inside quietly.

It seemed like they were waiting there forever. Both of them were exhausted. Haley couldn't sleep much after Nathan's phone call to her, and when she was finally starting to doze off, she had to leave for her flight back to Tree Hill.

But when a man wearing scrubs and a coat approached Nathan, he jumped up to his feet quickly, shaking his hand.

"I'm Dr. Ethan Copeland, I was the surgeon that operated on your father," He began, clearing his throat. "Do you mind if we go somewhere and talk?"

Nathan felt the blood drain from his face, and his palms get sweaty. He glanced over at Haley, who slid her hand into his, before nodding at Dr. Copeland.

They followed him down the hall to a private room, feeling like each step got heavier and heavier.

Was Dan dead?

That's the only thought that could pass through each of their minds.

After Dr. Copeland closed the door, he took a seat on one side of the table, while Nathan and Haley took a seat on the other.

"Mr. Scott, your father had a heart attack, as you know," He began, clearing his throat, glancing between Nathan and Haley. "We had our best people available in on his surgery."

"Just say it," Nathan said, letting out a deep breath and nodding at him, feeling Haley squeeze his hand under the table.

"We did the best we could, Mr. and Mrs. Scott," Dr. Copeland said, nodding at them. "Unfortunately, there's nothing else that we can do. He should be waking up soon, but from then, it's just a matter of hours."

Nathan slumped back in his chair, hearing Haley start to speak to Dr. Copeland, but he could not make out the words.

So he wasn't dead yet, but he most likely would be by the end of the day.

Nathan stood up quickly, grabbed Haley's purse from her, fishing the car keys out of it. He made brief eye contact with her, "Will you go sit with him, Haley?"

"What?" She asked him, a confused look in her eyes.

"Please," He begged, before rushing out of the room.

"Excuse me, Dr. Copeland," Haley said quickly, standing up and hurrying out the door, looking down the hallway quickly. Of course he was gone. She let out a deep breath, turning and walking back into the room.

xxxx

Haley had been sitting with Dan in silence for a little while. One of them would make a comment occasionally, but it was mostly quiet, the weight of the room holding down the conversation.

She had yet to hear from Nathan, but she was really nervous for him. He didn't look great when he ran out of the room after hearing the news. Not that she blamed him or anything.

"You don't have to stay in here, Haley. I've chosen a horrible path for myself," Dan commented, clearing his throat and looking at her.

"Nathan asked me to be here, so I'm going to be here," Haley commented, sending him a small smile.

"You know, Nathan used to look up to me when he was young," Dan told her, sighing softly. "He used to think I was great."

"I know," Haley said, nodding at him.

"I'm glad he has you, you mean the world to him," Dan said, looking over at her. "He's very protective of you."

"I know," She said again, biting her lip as Dan talked about Nathan, letting out a deep breath.

She was about to say something else to her, when there was a knock at the door. She stood up slowly, opening it and seeing Nathan, holding Jamie's car seat.

"Nathan, you scared the hell out of me," She said quickly, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him, before turning her attention to Jamie, cooing at him.

"He doesn't know everything Dan has done, Haley. He's the one person in Dan's life that doesn't know," Nathan commented, gesturing to the door. "He's the last person that can care about him innocently, without the guilt I feel right now. He's dying, Hales. He doesn't deserve it, but we're going to let him spend time with Jamie anyways."

Haley nodded her head, standing on her toes and kissing him again, letting out a deep breath and stepping away. She rested her hand on the door handle, pushing the door open slowly.

"Dan, you have a visitor," She said, sitting back down in her seat.

Nathan sucked in a deep breath, stepping in and setting the carseat on the ground. "Hey," He said, nodding at Dan.

Dan smiled up at him, "Nathan, thank you for waiting out there."

"Yeah, Dan, it's whatever," He mumbled, leaning down, unbuckling Jamie from his carseat, picking him up carefully. "Can you, uh, use the hand sanitizer?"

Dan laughed at his son's cautiousness with his own son, picking up the hand sanitizer and rubbing it into his hands.

Nathan nodded in approval, stepping forward and setting Jamie down in Dan's arms, letting out a deep breath. "Dan, you know Jamie."

"Yes, we've met once," Dan said, smiling down at the wide awake baby.

Haley smiled at the baby in Dan's arms, touching her hand to her heart. Boy, did she miss Jamie in the short time she was gone.

"Everything that matters to me is in this room with you, Dan, so please, don't take that lightly," Nathan said, taking a seat next to Haley, grabbing onto her hand.

"He looks just like you did when you were a baby, Nathan," Dan said, glancing over at him and smiling slightly. "His hair is a little lighter though."

"I was hoping he'd get Nathan's eyes, and it worked out well," Haley commented, smiling at him.

"The real question is, does he throw up like Nathan did?" Dan laughed, raising his eyebrows and looking over at them.

"Payback is a bitch," Nathan groaned, rubbing his neck.

Haley smacked his arm, shaking her head and scowling at him.

"Oh right, we're not supposed to swear in front of the baby, that might be the first work he remembers," Nathan chuckled, smiling at Haley.

"I enforced that rule with your mother," Dan informed them, letting Jamie's hand wrap around his finger.

"Probably didn't work," Nathan chuckled, shaking his head. "I've been swearing my ass off since I was like nine years old."

"Nathan, come on," Dan gestured to Jamie, shaking his head.

Haley laughed, pushing on Nathan's shoulder lightly. "You're going to have to be the one to put soap in his mouth every time he swears if you don't stop."

"Come on, there's nothing cuter than a little kid swearing," Nathan laughed, rolling his eyes.

"Maybe when it's someone else's kid," Haley responded, shaking her head.

Dan smiled at the two of them, before shifting his gaze down to Jamie once again, letting out a deep breath. "He really is a good looking kid. I'm not surprised, though."

"I just got back from a weekend away with Brooke and Peyton, and I swear he's changed so much in the time I was gone," Haley informed him, nodding her head.

Nathan gave Haley's hand a soft squeeze, letting out a deep breath. He chuckled quietly, shaking his head.

They spent pretty much the whole day in Dan's room, avoiding the subject of anything terrible that Dan had done entirely. He held Jamie almost the whole entire time, making Jamie laugh and smile.

Nathan and Haley could both tell when things started going downhill. And it was a pretty quick drop downhill.

When Dan kissed Jamie's forehead, and gestured for Haley to come take him, it almost broke her heart. He had not lived the best life, but after seeing him at pretty much his happiest moment she'd ever seen, holding Jamie, she didn't want this for him.

"Can I talk to Nathan alone?" Dan asked her, raising his eyebrows and offering her a weak smile.

"Of course," Haley replied, stroking her fingers through Jamie's hair, setting him in the carseat.

Nathan watched as Dan's eyes followed the car seat out of the room, then rested on the door for a little while, before finally turning to him.

"Would you mind moving your chair a little closer?" Dan asked him, clearing his throat.

Nathan did as he was asked, feeling himself choke up a bit. Even in Dan's worst moments, he still looked powerful. This was completely different. He looked weak and pale.

Dammit. This was not right... Dan was never going to die. He was never supposed to die. He was supposed to stalk Nathan around forever, silently cheering him on because he knew he couldn't be part of it.

Nathan let out another breath, meeting Dan's eyes again.

"I've done a lot of terrible things, Nathan. A lot. Not a day goes by that I don't regret them. I've been wishing for this day for quite some time now," Dan said weakly, reaching over hesitantly, resting his hand on Nathan's. "You didn't have to do everything you did today, but you did. And that sets you apart from me. You're selfless. Even when you don't want to be. You're the man that I wish I could have become."

Nathan swallowed thickly, nodding slowly.

This was painful. He'd spent so many years of his life hating Dan... He never thought he'd feel like this.

"I don't want your forgiveness, Nathan. I just want you to know that I am sorry. In my own twisted brain, Keith was the biggest problem in my life, and I thought things would get better, and they didn't... They just got worse," Dan said, tears streaming down his face. "I love you son, and I'm sorry for the way that I've treated you my whole life. I saw your potential at a young age, and I knew that you could be the best. And I was right. Let's face it, when you were on the Knicks you changed their whole team dynamic, and it's the same with the Hornets."

"I wouldn't be where I am today without you," Nathan commented, shrugging his shoulders. "You were my first coach."

"Can I tell you a secret?" Dan asked him, raising his eyebrows.

Nathan hesitated, before nodding his head. "Yeah."

"You're better than me at basketball," Dan whispered, which was followed up by a smile.

Nathan laughed, rolling his eyes and shaking his head. "You finally admit it. Thank you! To be fair, I've been telling you that since I was junior in high school."

Dan laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "I couldn't let you know you were better than me. But I'm so proud of you, Nathan. For way more than your career. Believe me when I say I know that you don't owe it to me or your mother, but to Haley. Don't ever let her go again."

"I don't plan on it," Nathan said, nodding and glancing towards the door that Haley had left through a few minutes ago.

"Thank you so much for letting me spend the day with your son, Nathan. Jamie is amazing," Dan said, letting out a deep breath. "You're a great dad, I can already tell."

"I'm actually pretty happy with my season being over so I can stay home with him now," Nathan chuckled, rubbing his neck.

"I don't blame you," Dan agreed, smiling at him. "I'm so proud of you, Nathan."

Nathan looked down, before meeting Dan's eyes again. "Thanks, Dad," He mumbled, nodding his head.

Dan opened his mouth to speak when the door opened up.

They both looked over, a small smile forming on Nathan's face as Deb Scott walked into the room.

"Hey, Mom," Nathan said quietly, standing up slowly, gesturing for her to take his chair.

"As I live and breathe, for now anyways, is that my ex wife?" Dan asked, raising his eyebrows.

"That joke is a bit morbid, isn't it, Dan?" Deb asked, walking over and sitting it Nathan's spot.

"Trying to lighten the mood. I knew you couldn't stay away forever, Deb," Dan joked, smiling slightly when she grabbed onto his hand.

Nathan sat down in the chair in the corner of the room, letting out a sigh. He watched his parents interact, and it stung a little bit. Even in his mid-twenties, he still wished that he had parents that loved each other. Given the circumstances, it could never happen. Even if Dan lived, it would never happen.

Dan had tried hard to redeem himself for the past few months, and Nathan really wished that he had not gone through all the trouble. He wished that Dan would've just kept his distance, maybe he wouldn't be feeling so terrible right now.

"You look great, Deb," Dan said, smiling at her.

"I think you've seen better days," Deb said, squeezing his hand lightly.

"What do you say, one last time for old times sake?" Dan said, offering her a wink. "I'll kick Nathan out."

Nathan coughed loudly, shaking his head. "I think I prefer the yelling to that," He said quickly.

Deb laughed, smiling over at her son, wiping at her eyes with her free hand. She turned her head back to Dan, letting out a deep breath. "He would have forgiven you, you know that right?"

"I know," Dan commented, nodding his head. "I'm sorry for everything, Deb."

Deb stood up slowly, "I know," She said, leaning forward and kissing Dan's forehead.

"Will you two stay in here?" Dan asked them, looking between Deb and Nathan.

Nathan pulled his chair up next to his mom's, nodding his head and sucking in a deep breath.

Deb nodded at Dan, sitting back down and grabbing onto her ex-husband's hand, before reaching over and grabbing on to Nathan's as well.

xxxx

Haley watched Nathan from the car as he said goodbye to his mother, the rain pouring down around them, which seemed fitting for the day.

They hugged for a long time, probably longer than Haley had ever seen the two of them hug in her life. It broke her heart to see them hurting. It was such a twisted situation.

When Nathan finally got into the passenger seat, he let out a deep breath.

"She's going to go home and get some sleep, and then she's going to come over later tonight," He informed her, glancing at the carseat in the back.

"Okay," Haley said, reaching over and resting her hand on his leg. "You should get some sleep too, Nathan."

"I'm alright for now," He said, resting his head against the window, watching the rain fall outside.

She let out a deep breath, squeezing his leg, beginning to drive home silently.

When they pulled into the garage, Nathan got out slowly, rubbing his neck. He moved to the back seat, lifting the carrier out, heading inside quickly.

"Wow," Haley let out a deep breath, leaning back in her seat, keeping her grip on the steering wheel. She wasn't sure how she'd feel if this ever happened, but she honestly felt sad.

She got out of the car after a moment of collecting her thoughts, trying to figure out ways to comfort Nathan. She headed into the house slowly, immediately going to the nursery, which is where she assumed they were.

She was correct, of course, Nathan sitting in the big recliner that he'd insisted they out in the room, cradling Jamie close to him.

Haley moved behind him, leaning down and resting her chin on top of his head. She slid her hands down to his chest, letting out a deep breath. She looked down at the sleeping angel in Nathan's arms, tilting her head and kissing the top of Nathan's head.

"Why don't we go take a shower?" She suggested, raising her eyebrows.

He chuckled quietly, standing up slowly. "You don't have to ask me twice," He informed her, setting Jamie down in his bed, picking up the baby monitor.

Haley smiled, grabbing onto his hand and tugging him out of the room.

After a long shower, they were sitting in bed next to each other. Haley had gone and gotten Jamie once again, cradling him close to her.

"You can go back, you know," Nathan informed her, pulling her closer to his side. "I interrupted your weekend."

"No way," Haley said, tilting her head up and kissing his jaw. "I want to be here. Brooke and Peyton took a flight home today anyways, so they're probably already back."

Nathan nodded, pressing his face into her hair and closing his eyes. "I can't believe he's gone," He mumbled.

Haley rested her hand on Nathan's leg, nodding her head quickly. "I know, baby," She said softly. "I know you're probably pretty conflicted right now, because I know I am. But it's okay, I'm here for you."

"I love you," He whispered, kissing her head and closing his eyes.

"I love you too, Nathan," She told him, squeezing his leg. "And I think you made the right decision by letting him spend the day with Jamie. It gave him one last good day."

"I wasn't expecting to feel so sad," He said, looking down at her.

"I wasn't either," She responded, brushing her fingers through the fine hairs on Jamie's head. "You should try to get some rest, Nathan. You've been awake for twenty four hours."

"You're right. Wake me when my mom gets here?" He asked, sliding down the bed until his head hit the pillow.

"Of course," She nodded, stroking her fingers through his hair.

Nathan shifted onto his side so that he could rest his arm over her legs. "Thanks, Haley."

"I'm always going to be here for you, honey. Now get some sleep, some real sleep."

"You need to sleep too," He informed her, shrugging his shoulders.

"I'll be cuddled up with you as soon as I get my Jamie fill. I missed him," She said, nodding at him.

"What, and not me?" He joked, raising his eyebrows.

"Not nearly as much," She teased him, tugging on his hair lightly. "Just kidding, Nathan. Sleep."

Nathan smiled up at her, nodding his head and shutting his eyes. "You and Jamie mean the world to me, Hales..."

Haley let out a deep breath, hugging Jamie closer to her, resting her free hand on Nathan's arm.

She was so impressed by Nathan's strength today. His ability to once again, put someone else before his own feelings, and allow Dan to spend some time with Jamie.

They would be alright, they'd always be alright.

Nothing else mattered but them, and they'd get through everything together.


End file.
